CVE-2018-16859
First published: Wed Nov 14 2018(Updated: )
Execution of Ansible playbooks on Windows platforms with PowerShell ScriptBlock logging and Module logging enabled can allow for 'become' passwords to appear in EventLogs in plaintext. A local user with administrator privileges on the machine can view these logs and discover the plaintext password. Ansible Engine 2.8 and older are believed to be vulnerable.
Credit: secalert@redhat.com secalert@redhat.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Redhat Ansible Engine | <2.5.13 | |
| Redhat Ansible Engine | >=2.6.0<2.6.10 | |
| Redhat Ansible Engine | >=2.7.0<2.7.4 | |
| Redhat Ansible Engine | >=2.7.5<=2.8 | |
| redhat/ansible-engine | <2.5.13 | 2.5.13 |
| redhat/ansible-engine | <2.6.10 | 2.6.10 |
| redhat/ansible-engine | <2.7.4 | 2.7.4 |
| pip/ansible | >=2.6.0a1<2.6.9 | 2.6.9 |
| pip/ansible | >=0<2.5.12 | 2.5.12 |
| pip/ansible | >=2.7.0a1<2.7.3 | 2.7.3 |
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Reference Links
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00021.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00077.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-08/msg00020.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106004
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3770
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3771
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3772
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3773
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16859
- https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/49142
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1649607#c12
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1649607
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16859
- https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/v2.5.13/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.5.rst
- https://web.archive.org/web/20200227102121/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106004
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-v735-2pp6-h86r (Advisory)
- https://github.com/ansible/ansible/commit/0d746b4198abf84290a093b83cf02b4203d73d9f
- https://github.com/ansible/ansible/commit/2f8d3fcf41107efafc14d51ab6e14531ca8f8c87
- https://github.com/ansible/ansible/commit/4d748d34f9392aa469da00a85c8e2d5fe6cec52b
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/ansible/PYSEC-2018-60.yaml
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the vulnerability ID for this issue?
The vulnerability ID is CVE-2018-16859.
What is the severity of CVE-2018-16859?
The severity of CVE-2018-16859 is medium, with a severity value of 4.4.
Which Ansible versions are affected by CVE-2018-16859?
Ansible versions 2.5.13 up to exclusive, 2.6.10 up to exclusive, and 2.7.4 up to exclusive are affected.
How can a local user with administrator privileges exploit CVE-2018-16859?
A local user with administrator privileges can view EventLogs to discover plaintext passwords.
Is there a fix available for CVE-2018-16859?
Yes, the fix for CVE-2018-16859 is available in Ansible versions 2.5.13, 2.6.10, and 2.7.4.
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- version/redhat ansible engine/2.7.5
- version/redhat ansible engine/2.8
- package-manager/redhat
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