CVE-2020-14343
Description
A vulnerability was discovered in the PyYAML library, where it is susceptible to arbitrary code execution when it processes untrusted YAML files through the full_load method or with the FullLoader loader. Applications that use the library to process untrusted input may be vulnerable to this flaw. This flaw allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system by abusing the python/object/new constructor. This flaw is due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2020-1747.
Statement
This CVE has already been fixed in RHEL-9 with initial release of PyYaml v5.4-1.
Ansible Tower 3.7 uses affected version of PyYAML 3.12 from RHEL, but the use of load() is specified with a SafeLoader when it is called. So Ansible Tower and Ansible Engine are not affected.
Red Hat Quay, from version 3.4 uses the safe_load function which is not affected by this issue. See [1].
Even though the CVSSv3 for this flaw is 9.8, the Impact has been set to Moderate because PyYAML provides a specific method to deal with untrusted input, which is yaml.safe_load. yaml.safe_load or the SafeLoader loader should be used whenever the input YAML can be modified by a malicious user.
Mitigation
Use `yaml.safe_load` or the SafeLoader loader when you parse untrusted input.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 9.8 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Network | Network | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | None | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | High | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | High | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
An attacker could provide unexpected values and cause a program crash or arbitrary control of resource allocation, leading to excessive consumption of resources such as memory and CPU.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory; Read Files or Directories
An attacker could read confidential data if they are able to control resource references.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
An attacker could use malicious input to modify data or possibly alter control flow in unexpected ways, including arbitrary command execution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
