CVE-2023-32197: Github.com/rancher/rancher Rancher Allows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-7h8m-pvw3-5gh4",
  "modified" : "2025-04-16T13:17:11Z",
  "published" : "2024-10-25T19:35:00Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-32197" ],
  "summary" : "Rancher allows privilege escalation in Windows nodes due to Insecure Access Control Lists",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nA vulnerability has been identified whereby Rancher Manager deployments containing Windows nodes have weak Access Control Lists (ACL), allowing `BUILTIN\\Users` or `NT AUTHORITY\\Authenticated Users` to view or edit sensitive files which could lead to privilege escalation.\n\nThe affected files include binaries, scripts, configuration and log files:\n\n```\nC:\\etc\\rancher\\wins\\config\nC:\\var\\lib\\rancher\\agent\\rancher2_connection_info.json\nC:\\etc\\rancher\\rke2\\config.yaml.d\\50-rancher.yaml\nC:\\var\\lib\\rancher\\agent\\applied\\*-*-applied.plan\nC:\\usr\\local\\bin\\rke2\nC:\\var\\lib\\rancher\\capr\\idempotence\\idempotent.sh\n```\n\nRKE2 nodes expand the list to include the files below:\n\n```\nC:\\etc\\rancher\\node\\password\nC:\\var\\lib\\rancher\\rke2\\agent\\logs\\kubelet.log\nC:\\var\\lib\\rancher\\rke2\\data\\v1.**.**-rke2r*-windows-amd64-*\\bin\\*\nC:\\var\\lib\\rancher\\rke2\\bin\\*\n```\n\n**This vulnerability is exclusive to deployments that contain Windows nodes. Linux-only environments are not affected by it.**\n\nPlease consult the associated [MITRE ATT&CK - Technique - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1068/) for further information about this category of attack.\n\n### Patches\n\nPatched versions include Rancher Manager `2.8.9` and `2.9.3`. For RKE2 Windows nodes, please refer to its [specific advisory](https://github.com/rancher/rke2/security/advisories/GHSA-x7xj-jvwp-97rv). No patches are available for 2.7, therefore users are urged to upgrade to newer minor versions or to apply the manual workaround below.\n\n\n### Workarounds\n\nUsers are advised to upgrade to a patched version of Rancher Manager. When that is not possible, users can enforce stricter ACLs for all sensitive files affected by this Security Advisory running [this](https://github.com/rancherlabs/support-tools/blob/master/windows-access-control-lists/README.md) PowerShell script as an Administrator on each node.\n\n\n### References\n\n- [CVE-2023-32197](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-32197)\n- [RKE2’s GHSA-x7xj-jvwp-97rv](https://github.com/rancher/rke2/security/advisories/GHSA-x7xj-jvwp-97rv)\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n- Reach out to the [SUSE Rancher Security team](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/security/policy) for security related inquiries.\n- Open an issue in the [Rancher](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/issues/new/choose) repository.\n- Verify with our [support matrix](https://www.suse.com/suse-rancher/support-matrix/all-supported-versions/) and [product support lifecycle](https://www.suse.com/lifecycle/).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/rancher/rancher"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.7.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.8.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/rancher/rancher"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.9.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.9.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rancher/rancher/security/advisories/GHSA-64jq-m7rq-768h"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rancher/rancher/security/advisories/GHSA-7h8m-pvw3-5gh4"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32197"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2023-32197"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rancher/rancher"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269", "CWE-732" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-10-25T19:35:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-04-16T09:15:24Z"
  }
}