CVE-2019-3801 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2019-3801, published on April 25, 2019, addresses a vulnerability in Cloud Foundry's cf-deployment versions prior to 7.9.0. The issue involves insecure protocol usage in fetching dependencies, potentially allowing remote attackers to inject malicious code.

Understanding CVE-2019-3801

This CVE entry pertains to a security flaw in Cloud Foundry's cf-deployment component, affecting specific versions due to insecure dependency retrieval mechanisms.

What is CVE-2019-3801?

The vulnerability in CVE-2019-3801 involves the use of an insecure protocol by java elements in cf-deployment to retrieve dependencies during the build process. This flaw enables unauthorized remote attackers to manipulate DNS entries and introduce malicious code.

The Impact of CVE-2019-3801

The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.0 base score of 8.7, indicating a high severity level. Its impact includes high confidentiality and integrity risks, with a changed scope due to potential DNS manipulation by attackers.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-3801

This section delves into the specific technical aspects of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from insecure protocol usage in fetching dependencies during the build process in Cloud Foundry's cf-deployment component.

Affected Systems and Versions

CredHub versions less than 2.1.3 and 1.9
UAA Release (OSS) with versions less than v64.0
cf-deployment versions prior to v7.9.0
UAA Release (LTS) versions less than v60.2 and v64.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit the insecure protocol used for dependency retrieval, enabling them to manipulate DNS entries and inject malicious code into the affected component.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-3801, follow these mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update cf-deployment to version 7.9.0 or later
Apply patches provided by Cloud Foundry or Pivotal for affected products

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities
Regularly monitor and update dependencies to ensure security

Patching and Updates

Cloud Foundry and Pivotal may release patches or updates to address the vulnerability