CVE-2023-1786: sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs

Published Apr 26, 2023
·
Updated

Canonical cloud-init could allow a local authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by the storage of sensitive data in the log files. By gaining access to the log files, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain hashed passwords information, and use this information to launch further attacks against the affected system.

Other sources

Sensitive data could be exposed in logs of cloud-init before version 23.1.2. An attacker could use this information to find hashed passwords and possibly escalate their privilege.

Ubuntu

Affected Software

17 affected componentsFixes available
ubuntu/cloud-init<23.1.2-0ubuntu0~18.04.1
23.1.2-0ubuntu0~18.04.1
ubuntu/cloud-init<23.1.2-0ubuntu0~20.04.1
23.1.2-0ubuntu0~20.04.1
ubuntu/cloud-init<23.1.2-0ubuntu0~22.04.1
23.1.2-0ubuntu0~22.04.1
ubuntu/cloud-init<23.1.2-0ubuntu0~22.10.1
23.1.2-0ubuntu0~22.10.1
ubuntu/cloud-init<23.1.2-0ubuntu0~23.04.1
23.1.2-0ubuntu0~23.04.1
ubuntu/cloud-init<23.2, <23.1.2
23.223.1.2
ubuntu/cloud-init<21.1-19-
21.1-19-
debian/cloud-init<=20.4.1-2+deb11u1, <=22.4.2-1+deb12u1
24.2-1
IBM QRadar SIEM<=7.5 - 7.5.0 UP8 IF01
Canonical cloud-init<23.1.2
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=20.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=22.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=22.10
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=23.04
Fedoraproject Fedora=38

Remediation

Mitigation

The Ubuntu update to address this attempted to redact information in /var/log/cloud-init.log and /run/cloud-init/instance-data.json. Additional logs may require the removal of sensitive information.

Event History

Apr 26, 2023
CVE Published
via Ubuntu·12:00 AM
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:23 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:23 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Jan 12, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:15 AM
Description

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2023-1786?

CVE-2023-1786 is a vulnerability in cloud-init before version 23.1.2 that could expose sensitive data in logs.

2

How can an attacker exploit CVE-2023-1786?

An attacker could use exposed sensitive information in cloud-init logs to find hashed passwords and potentially escalate their privilege.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2023-1786?

CVE-2023-1786 has a severity rating of 5.5 (medium).

4

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2023-1786?

Cloud-init versions before 23.1.2 are affected by CVE-2023-1786.

5

How do I fix CVE-2023-1786?

To fix CVE-2023-1786, update cloud-init to version 23.1.2 or higher.

Contact

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