CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-22648NVD status: Modified

Rancher: Privilege Dropping / Lowering Errors

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-22648 is a high-severity privilege dropping / lowering errors vulnerability in Rancher from SUSE, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions < 2.6.13, < 2.7.4 as the first without the flaw, so updating Rancher to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.45% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Rancher to < 2.6.13 or < 2.7.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on bugzilla.suse.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
SUSERancher>= 2.6.7 up to, but not including, < 2.6.13; >= 2.7.0 up to, but not including, < 2.7.4< 2.6.13, < 2.7.4

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.18.0HighCNA (suse.de)
CVSS 3.18.8HighNVD

Official description

A Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in SUSE Rancher causes permission changes in Azure AD not to be reflected to users while they are logged in the Rancher UI. This would cause the users to retain their previous permissions in Rancher, even if they change groups on Azure AD, for example, to a lower privileged group, or are removed from a group, thus retaining their access to Rancher instead of losing it. This issue affects Rancher: from >= 2.6.7 before < 2.6.13, from >= 2.7.0 before < 2.7.4.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Privilege Dropping / Lowering Errors

The product does not drop privileges before passing control of a resource to an actor that does not have those privileges.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
  • Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
  • Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.

More Privilege Dropping / Lowering Errors vulnerabilities (CWE-271)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Rancher

All Rancher vulnerabilities

Recent Privilege Dropping / Lowering Errors vulnerabilities

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