CVE-2014-0006: OpenStack Swift TempURL Middleware Timing Attack Vulnerability
Summary
CVE-2014-0006: The TempURL middleware in OpenStack Object Storage (Swift) 1.4.6 through 1.8.0, 1.9.0 through 1.10.0, and 1.11.0 allows remote attackers to obtain secret URLs by leveraging an object name and a timing side-channel attack... Affects swift across 3 version ranges.
>= 1.4.6, <= 1.8.0
>= 1.9.0, <= 1.10.0
>= 1.11.0, < 1.12.0
No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- swift · Debian:11
The same CVE-2014-0006 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
OpenStack Swift is a highly available, distributed, eventually consistent object storage system designed for scalability and redundancy. It is widely used in cloud environments to store and retrieve large amounts of unstructured data. The TempURL middleware in Swift allows users to generate temporary URLs for accessing objects, which is useful for granting time-limited access to resources. However, certain versions of Swift are vulnerable to a timing side-channel attack that can expose secret URLs to remote attackers.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from the TempURL middleware in OpenStack Swift versions 1.4.6 through 1.8.0, 1.9.0 through 1.10.0, and 1.11.0. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by leveraging an object name and performing a timing side-channel attack, which allows them to infer secret URLs. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in Swift, posing a significant security risk to users and organizations relying on this storage solution.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can disable the TempURL middleware if it is not essential for their application. This can be done by removing or commenting out the TempURL middleware configuration in the Swift configuration file. However, this may limit functionality for users who rely on temporary URLs for object access.
Conclusion
The CVE-2014-0006 vulnerability in OpenStack Swift's TempURL middleware poses a significant risk due to its potential for exposing secret URLs through timing attacks. Users are urged to upgrade to a patched version of Swift to mitigate this risk and ensure the security of their data. Temporary workarounds are available, but they may limit functionality.
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FAQ
A timing side-channel attack is a method where an attacker gains information about a system's internal state by analyzing the time it takes to execute certain operations. In this case, it allows attackers to infer secret URLs based on response times.
The affected versions of OpenStack Swift are 1.4.6 through 1.8.0, 1.9.0 through 1.10.0, and 1.11.0.
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If an immediate upgrade is not possible, consider disabling the TempURL middleware as a temporary workaround to mitigate the risk until you can apply the update.
The potential consequences include unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in Swift, which could lead to data breaches and loss of confidentiality for users and organizations.
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