CVE-2021-3429
Description
A flaw was found in cloud-init. When a system is configured through cloud-init and the "Set Passwords" module is used with "chpasswd" directive and "RANDOM", the randomly generated password for the relative user is written in clear-text in a file readable by any existing user of the system. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and it may allow a local attacker to log in as another user.
Statement
By default the randomly password generated by "chpasswd" must be changed on the first login of the user. That means that once a user accesses the system for the first time, the random password in the log file cannot be used anymore. However it is possible to configure an extended validity period for the random password, thus the actual impact of this password leak may vary based on the environment and how the systems are configured through cloud-init.
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 | 5.5 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | High | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | N/A |
| Availability Impact | None | None | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Application Data
Logging sensitive user data, full path names, or system information often provides attackers with an additional, less-protected path to acquiring the information.
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