CVE-2020-1746 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A flaw in Ansible Engine versions and Ansible Tower allows exposure of LDAP bind passwords and poses data confidentiality risks.

Understanding CVE-2020-1746

A vulnerability impacting Ansible Engine versions and Ansible Tower potentially leaks sensitive information.

What is CVE-2020-1746?

An issue in Ansible Engine 2.7.x, 2.8.x, and 2.9.x, and Ansible Tower <= 3.6.3 exposes LDAP bind passwords, risking data confidentiality when using specific community modules.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1746

The vulnerability reveals LDAP bind passwords to logs or stdout, with a significant threat to data confidentiality.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1746

Details on the specific aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in Ansible Engine and Ansible Tower allows exposure of LDAP bind passwords when using certain modules, potentially compromising data confidentiality.

Affected Systems and Versions

Red Hat Ansible Engine versions 2.7.x before 2.7.17, 2.8.x before 2.8.11, and 2.9.x before 2.9.7
Ansible Tower versions <= 3.6.3

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by leaking LDAP bind passwords to logs or stdout when certain community modules are used, leading to data exposure.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent the CVE-2020-1746 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade affected Ansible Engine versions and Ansible Tower to secure releases
Avoid using ldap_attr and ldap_entry community modules until systems are patched

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update security configurations and practices
Implement strong password management policies to reduce potential data exposure

Patching and Updates

Apply vendor-provided patches and updates promptly to mitigate the vulnerability