CVE-2022-21953: Github.com/rancher/rancher Authenticated User Can Gain Unauthorized Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g25r-gvq3-wrq7
CVSS 7.4
CWE-284 CWE-862 CWE-285
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-21953 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.4) authenticated user can gain unauthorized vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Github.com/rancher/rancher libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves authenticated user can gain unauthorized shell pod and kubectl access in the local cluster. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.5.17, 2.6.10, 2.7.1.

CVE-2022-21953 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-21953
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g25r-gvq3-wrq7
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.4
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Github.com/rancher/rancher
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.4

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2022-21953

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/rancher/rancher 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/rancher/rancher fixed: 2.5.17
Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.5.17
github.com/rancher/rancher fixed: 2.6.10
Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.6.10
github.com/rancher/rancher fixed: 2.7.1
Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.7.1
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/rancher/rancher

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2022-21953, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/rancher/rancher:

inspect dependencies for github.com/rancher/rancher

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/rancher/rancher in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.5.17), 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. In Github.com/rancher/rancher, 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

### Impact An issue was discovered in Rancher where an authorization logic flaw allows an authenticated user on any downstream cluster to (1) open a shell pod in the Rancher `local` cluster and (2) have limited `kubectl` access to it. The expected behavior is that a user does not have such access in the Rancher `local` cluster unless explicitly granted. This issue does not allow the user to escalate privileges in the `local` cluster directly (this would require another vulnerability to be exploited). The security issue happens in two different ways: 1. Shell pod access - This is when a user opens a shell pod in the Rancher UI to a downstream cluster that the user has permission to access. The web request can be intercepted using the browser's web inspector/network console or a proxy tool to change the shell's destination to the Rancher `local` cluster instead of the desired downstream cluster. - This flaw cannot be exploited to access a downstream cluster that the user has no permissions to. - The shell pod runs with a limited non-root user, reducing the severity of this issue. However, even as a non-root user, it is still possible download and run binaries inside the shell pod. - The blast radius of this issue can increase based on the configuration of the `local` cluster. For example: - If the `local` cluster has unlimited network access, e.g. to the Internet, the user can open a reverse network connection to the shell pod. - Or access the cloud metadata API of the underlying cloud infrastructure, where the user can extract the credentials associated with the `local` cluster and use them to interact with the cloud environment (this will be limited by the permissions granted to the cloud credentials in question). - Check further recommendations about liming access to the cloud metadata API in Rancher's [security best practices](https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/reference-guides/rancher-security/kubernetes-security-best-practices). 2. Kubectl access - When downloading the kubeconfig file of a downstream cluster that the user has access to, the `server` cluster address in the kubeconfig file can be changed to point to the Rancher `local` cluster instead of the intended downstream cluster. - This can also be achieved by crafting a kubeconfig using a Rancher token instead of using the kubeconfig from an active cluster. - This flaw cannot be exploited to access a downstream cluster that the user has no permissions to. Notes: - Rancher `local` cluster means the cluster where Rancher is installed. It is named as `local` inside the list of clusters in the Rancher UI. - Audit logs in Rancher can be used to identify possible abuses of this issue, by tracking API requests to the user ID of the user that performed the action. API audit logs can be enabled as described in the [documentation](https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-api-audit-log) when set to level `1` or above. ### Workarounds There is no workaround or direct mitigation besides updating to a patched Rancher version. ### Patches Patched versions include releases 2.5.17, 2.6.10, 2.7.1 and later versions. ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Reach out to [SUSE Rancher Security team](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/security/policy) for security related inquiries. * Open an issue in [Rancher](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/issues/new/choose) repository. * Verify our [support matrix](https://www.suse.com/suse-rancher/support-matrix/all-supported-versions/) and [product support lifecycle](https://www.suse.com/lifecycle/).

CVE-2022-21953 Affected Github.com/rancher/rancher Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.5.172.6.102.7.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/rancher/rancher
Go
≥ 2.5.0
< 2.5.17
2.5.17
github.com/rancher/rancher
Go
≥ 2.6.0
< 2.6.10
2.6.10
github.com/rancher/rancher
Go
≥ 2.7.0
< 2.7.1
2.7.1

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-21953?
CVE-2022-21953 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/rancher/rancher involving Authenticated user can gain unauthorized shell pod and kubectl access in the local cluster under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Github.com/rancher/rancher versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.5.17, 2.6.10, 2.7.1 across affected packages: github.com/rancher/rancher.
What version fixes CVE-2022-21953?
Upgrading to 2.5.17, 2.6.10, 2.7.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/rancher/rancher affected?
Yes, github.com/rancher/rancher is affected in releases prior to 2.5.17, 2.6.10, 2.7.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.5.17, 2.6.10, 2.7.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-21953?
CVE-2022-21953 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.4 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2022-21953?
CVE-2022-21953 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2022-21953?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/rancher/rancher'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-g25r-gvq3-wrq7",
  "modified" : "2023-02-07T15:49:33Z",
  "published" : "2023-01-25T19:36:09Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-21953" ],
  "summary" : "Authenticated user can gain unauthorized shell pod and kubectl access in the local cluster",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nAn issue was discovered in Rancher where an authorization logic flaw allows an authenticated user on any downstream cluster to (1) open a shell pod in the Rancher `local` cluster and (2) have limited `kubectl` access to it. The expected behavior is that a user does not have such access in the Rancher `local` cluster unless explicitly granted.\n\nThis issue does not allow the user to escalate privileges in the `local` cluster directly (this would require another vulnerability to be exploited).\n\nThe security issue happens in two different ways:\n\n1. Shell pod access - This is when a user opens a shell pod in the Rancher UI to a downstream cluster that the user has permission to access. The web request can be intercepted using the browser's web inspector/network console or a proxy tool to change the shell's destination to the Rancher `local` cluster instead of the desired downstream cluster.\n\n   - This flaw cannot be exploited to access a downstream cluster that the user has no permissions to.\n\n   - The shell pod runs with a limited non-root user, reducing the severity of this issue. However, even as a non-root user, it is still possible download and run binaries inside the shell pod.\n\n   - The blast radius of this issue can increase based on the configuration of the `local` cluster. For example:\n\n      - If the `local` cluster has unlimited network access, e.g. to the Internet, the user can open a reverse network connection to the shell pod.\n\n      - Or access the cloud metadata API of the underlying cloud infrastructure, where the user can extract the credentials associated with the `local` cluster and use them to interact with the cloud environment (this will be limited by the permissions granted to the cloud credentials in question). \n\n      - Check further recommendations about liming access to the cloud metadata API in Rancher's [security best practices](https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/reference-guides/rancher-security/kubernetes-security-best-practices).\n\n2. Kubectl access - When downloading the kubeconfig file of a downstream cluster that the user has access to, the `server` cluster address in the kubeconfig file can be changed to point to the Rancher `local` cluster instead of the intended downstream cluster.\n\n     - This can also be achieved by crafting a kubeconfig using a Rancher token instead of using the kubeconfig from an active cluster. \n\n    - This flaw cannot be exploited to access a downstream cluster that the user has no permissions to.\n\nNotes:\n- Rancher `local` cluster means the cluster where Rancher is installed. It is named as `local` inside the list of clusters in the Rancher UI.\n- Audit logs in Rancher can be used to identify possible abuses of this issue, by tracking API requests to the user ID of the user that performed the action. API audit logs can be enabled as described in the [documentation](https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-api-audit-log) when set to level `1` or above.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere is no workaround or direct mitigation besides updating to a patched Rancher version.\n\n### Patches\n\nPatched versions include releases 2.5.17, 2.6.10, 2.7.1 and later versions.\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n\n* Reach out to [SUSE Rancher Security team](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/security/policy) for security related inquiries.\n* Open an issue in [Rancher](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/issues/new/choose) repository.\n* Verify 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:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/rancher/rancher"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.5.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.5.17"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/rancher/rancher"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.6.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.6.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/rancher/rancher"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.7.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.7.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rancher/rancher/security/advisories/GHSA-g25r-gvq3-wrq7"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-21953"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1199731"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rancher/rancher"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284", "CWE-285", "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-01-25T19:36:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-02-07T13:15:00Z"
  }
}