CVE-2021-20278: Github.com/kiali/kiali Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-287 CWE-290
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-20278 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Github.com/kiali/kiali libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves kiali authentication bypass vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.31.0.

CVE-2021-20278 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-20278
GHSA Identifier GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Github.com/kiali/kiali
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-20278

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/kiali/kiali dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/kiali/kiali fixed: 1.31.0 
Upgrade github.com/kiali/kiali to 1.31.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for github.com/kiali/kiali

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-20278, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/kiali/kiali:

inspect dependencies for github.com/kiali/kiali

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/kiali/kiali in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.31.0), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Github.com/kiali/kiali, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

An authentication bypass vulnerability was found in Kiali in versions before 1.31.0 when the authentication strategy `OpenID` is used. When RBAC is enabled, Kiali assumes that some of the token validation is handled by the underlying cluster. When OpenID `implicit flow` is used with RBAC turned off, this token validation doesn't occur, and this allows a malicious user to bypass the authentication.

CVE-2021-20278 Affected Github.com/kiali/kiali Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.31.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/kiali/kiali
golang/github.com/kiali/kiali
Go
< 1.31.0
1.31.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-20278 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20278
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1937171
Github.com/kiali/kiali Security Information SECURITY
https://kiali.io/news/security-bulletins/kiali-security-002

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-20278?
CVE-2021-20278 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/kiali/kiali involving Kiali Authentication Bypass vulnerability under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Github.com/kiali/kiali versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.31.0 across affected packages: github.com/kiali/kiali.
What version fixes CVE-2021-20278?
Upgrading to 1.31.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/kiali/kiali affected?
Yes, github.com/kiali/kiali is affected in releases prior to 1.31.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.31.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-20278?
CVE-2021-20278 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-20278?
CVE-2021-20278 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2021-20278?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/kiali/kiali'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4",
  "modified" : "2022-08-11T16:53:09Z",
  "published" : "2021-06-01T21:57:08Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-20278" ],
  "summary" : "Kiali Authentication Bypass vulnerability",
  "details" : "An authentication bypass vulnerability was found in Kiali in versions before 1.31.0 when the authentication strategy `OpenID` is used. When RBAC is enabled, Kiali assumes that some of the token validation is handled by the underlying cluster. When OpenID `implicit flow` is used with RBAC turned off, this token validation doesn't occur, and this allows a malicious user to bypass the authentication.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/kiali/kiali"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.31.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20278"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1937171"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://kiali.io/news/security-bulletins/kiali-security-002"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287", "CWE-290" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-06-01T17:44:07Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-05-28T11:15:00Z"
  }
}