Cloud Vulnerability DB
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Vulnerability DatabaseCVE-2014-4678
CVE-2014-4678:
Ansible vulnerability analysis and mitigation
Overview
CVE-2014-4678 affects the safe_eval function in Ansible versions before 1.6.4. This vulnerability was discovered as an incomplete fix for a previous issue (CVE-2014-4657) and was disclosed in June 2014 (OSS Security).
Technical details
The vulnerability exists in the safe_eval function which does not properly restrict the code subset, allowing potential code execution beyond intended limitations. The issue has a CVSS v3.1 Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating a severe security risk (NVD).
Impact
The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted instructions, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The high CVSS score reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with potential impacts on system confidentiality, integrity, and availability (NVD).
Mitigation and workarounds
The vulnerability was fixed in Ansible version 1.6.4 through a patch that implements a strict whitelist approach for the safe_eval function (GitHub Patch). Users should upgrade to version 1.6.4 or later to mitigate this vulnerability.
Additional resources
Source: This report was generated using AI
Related Ansible vulnerabilities:
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