CVE-2021-27400 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise. This vulnerability allows attackers to exploit unvalidated TLS certificates when connecting to Cassandra clusters.
This issue is classified as a high-severity vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.5, indicating significant risk to organizations. The vulnerability exists because HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise did not validate TLS certificates during communications with Cassandra, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The vulnerability was published on April 22, 2021, and has been marked as modified, indicating the need for immediate attention. Organizations using affected versions should prioritize patching to version 1.6.4 or 1.7.1 to remediate this issue.
Risk to organizations includes potential data breaches and unauthorized data modifications due to the integrity impact of this vulnerability.
Given the nature of the vulnerability and its high CVSS score, organizations should prioritize patching immediately.
Vulnerability Details
HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise Cassandra integrations (storage backend and database secrets engine plugin) did not validate TLS certificates when connecting to Cassandra clusters. This flaw is categorized under CWE-295, which pertains to improper certificate validation. The vulnerability is fixed in versions 1.6.4 and 1.7.1.
The CVSS score of 7.5 (high severity) is derived from the vulnerability's characteristics: it has a network attack vector, low attack complexity, requires no privileges, and does not necessitate user interaction, while posing a high impact on integrity.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the failure to validate TLS certificates when establishing connections to Cassandra clusters. By not implementing proper validation, any attacker can potentially intercept these communications, leading to unauthorized access and data modification.
The attack vector is network-based, which means that remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability without needing physical access to the network. The attack complexity is low, as no special conditions or user interaction is required to exploit it.
Additionally, the integrity impact is high, indicating that attackers may modify data, which could have severe consequences for organizations relying on accurate data for operations.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Organizations using affected versions of HashiCorp Vault must be aware of the potential risks associated with this vulnerability. The ability of attackers to manipulate data without validation of TLS certificates can lead to significant breaches of confidentiality and integrity.
The severity of this vulnerability, coupled with its high CVSS score, indicates that organizations should address it in their priority patch cycle. Given the potential for data breaches, the urgency of remediation cannot be overstated.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The vulnerability affects HashiCorp Vault versions prior to 1.6.4 and versions between 1.7.0 and 1.7.1. Organizations should ensure they are running patched versions to mitigate this risk.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should upgrade to HashiCorp Vault versions 1.6.4 or 1.7.1 to address this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, consider implementing strict network controls to limit access to Cassandra clusters and review configurations to avoid using unvalidated connections.
For comprehensive security measures, organizations may also consider engaging in penetration testing to proactively identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor logs for unauthorized access attempts and anomalies in communication patterns with Cassandra clusters. Look for indications of certificate validation issues and ensure that proper security measures are in place.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2021-27400 highlights the importance of validating TLS certificates in secure communications. Organizations must recognize that vulnerabilities in widely used systems like HashiCorp Vault can have widespread ramifications.
This case represents a pattern of vulnerabilities that stem from improper validation practices, underscoring the need for rigorous security protocols.
Security teams should ensure that their applications and integrations adhere to best practices for certificate validation to avoid similar issues in the future.
For further reading on security best practices, refer to our security testing best practices guide.
Additionally, consider exploring our vulnerability management program to enhance your organizational resilience.
Finally, organizations should regularly review their security posture and assess their defenses against emerging threats, as vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-27400 can serve as a wake-up call for the importance of proactive security measures.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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