CVE-2021-20288 : Security Advisory and Response

An authentication flaw was found in ceph in versions before 14.2.20, allowing key reuse and posing a threat to data confidentiality, integrity, and system availability.

Understanding CVE-2021-20288

This CVE involves an authentication flaw in ceph versions prior to 14.2.20, enabling unauthorized key reuse through handling CEPHX_GET_AUTH_SESSION_KEY requests.

What is CVE-2021-20288?

It is a vulnerability in ceph that fails to properly sanitize other_keys during CEPHX_GET_AUTH_SESSION_KEY request processing, resulting in potential key reuse attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2021-20288

The highest risk posed by this CVE is to data confidentiality, integrity, and system availability due to unauthorized key reuse and manipulation.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-20288

This section details the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in ceph versions before 14.2.20 allows an attacker to request a global_id and exploit the reuse of keys associated with other users without generating new keys.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: N/A Product: Ceph Versions: ceph 14.2.20 (affected)

Exploitation Mechanism

By manipulating CEPHX_GET_AUTH_SESSION_KEY requests, an attacker can request a global_id and exploit the inability of ceph to enforce new key generation.

Mitigation and Prevention

Outlined are immediate steps to take, long-term security practices, and the importance of patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Organizations should update ceph to version 14.2.20 or later, monitor for any unauthorized access or key reuse, and review access controls.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strong authentication mechanisms, regular security audits, and employee training to prevent similar authentication flaws.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for security advisories, apply patches promptly, and maintain up-to-date versions of ceph to mitigate authentication vulnerabilities.