cloud-init <21.2: Password logged in cloud-init-output.log, local takeover
CVE-2021-3429 Published on April 19, 2023

sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs
When instructing cloud-init to set a random password for a new user account, versions before 21.2 would write that password to the world-readable log file /var/log/cloud-init-output.log. This could allow a local user to log in as another user.

NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2021-3429 can be exploited with local system access, and requires small amount of user privileges. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a high impact on confidentiality, with no impact on integrity and availability.

Attack Vector:
LOCAL
Attack Complexity:
LOW
Privileges Required:
LOW
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
HIGH
Integrity Impact:
NONE
Availability Impact:
NONE

Weakness Type

Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File

Information written to log files can be of a sensitive nature and give valuable guidance to an attacker or expose sensitive user information.


Products Associated with CVE-2021-3429

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Affected Versions

Canonical Ltd. cloud-init:

Exploit Probability

EPSS
0.05%
Percentile
16.57%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.