CVE-2020-1733 : Security Advisory and Response
Discover the impact of CVE-2020-1733 on Ansible versions 2.7.17 and earlier. Learn how attackers exploit a race condition flaw to gain control over become users.
A race condition flaw in Ansible Engine 2.7.17 and earlier allows attackers to gain control over a become user when running a playbook. The flaw stems from the incorrect handling of temporary directories.
Understanding CVE-2020-1733
This CVE impacts Ansible versions 2.7.17 and previous, 2.8.9 and previous, and 2.9.6 and previous.
What is CVE-2020-1733?
A race condition vulnerability in Ansible Engine allows an attacker to exploit the creation of temporary directories and potentially gain control of the become user by manipulating the target directory.
The Impact of CVE-2020-1733
The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 5.0, indicating a medium severity level with low confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-1733
The technical details shed light on the nature of the vulnerability and its implications.
Vulnerability Description
The flaw arises from Ansible's creation of a temporary directory in /var/tmp with incorrect permissions, enabling an attacker to target the become user.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Ansible 2.7.17 and prior
- Ansible 2.8.9 and prior
- Ansible 2.9.6 and prior
Exploitation Mechanism
By manipulating the target directory structure, an attacker can exploit the race condition and potentially gain control over the become user.
Mitigation and Prevention
Taking immediate steps and adopting long-term security practices are crucial to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2020-1733.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Update Ansible to the latest version to eliminate the vulnerability.
- Avoid running Ansible playbooks with untrusted users.
- Monitor directory creation activities for suspicious behavior.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user permissions.
- Regularly review and test playbook configurations for security weaknesses.
- Educate users on secure scripting and playbook execution practices.
Patching and Updates
- Apply relevant security patches provided by Red Hat to fix the vulnerability.