Published: 2025-11-26T19:15:46.387
Overview
CVE-2021-4472 describes a local file inclusion (LFI) vulnerability found in the mistral-dashboard plugin for OpenStack. This vulnerability allows an attacker with sufficient privileges within the OpenStack environment to potentially read arbitrary files from the server’s file system. The flaw is located within the ‘Create Workbook’ feature of the dashboard.
Technical Details
The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization and validation of user-supplied input within the ‘Create Workbook’ functionality. Specifically, the application fails to adequately restrict the paths that can be specified when creating or importing a workbook. This allows an attacker to manipulate the input to include paths to sensitive files outside of the intended directory, effectively bypassing access controls and reading arbitrary file content.
Exploitation typically involves crafting a malicious workbook definition that includes a file path pointing to a sensitive file, such as configuration files or system logs. When the dashboard attempts to process this malicious workbook, it inadvertently includes and displays the contents of the specified file.
CVSS Analysis
- Severity: MEDIUM
- CVSS Score: 6.5
- Vector: The CVSS vector string (if available, would be here. If not available, exclude this element).
A CVSS score of 6.5 indicates a Medium severity vulnerability. While not immediately exploitable for remote code execution, the ability to read arbitrary files can significantly aid attackers in gathering sensitive information about the system, which can be leveraged for further attacks, such as privilege escalation or data breaches.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2021-4472 can lead to the following potential impacts:
- Information Disclosure: Attackers can read sensitive configuration files, database credentials, API keys, and other confidential data.
- Privilege Escalation: Gaining access to sensitive configuration files might reveal information that can be used to escalate privileges within the OpenStack environment.
- Data Breach: Access to database connection strings or other sensitive data could lead to a full data breach.
- Service Disruption: While less likely, certain file disclosures could lead to manipulation strategies that ultimately disrupt service.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to upgrade the mistral-dashboard package to a version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. The following patches address this issue:
In addition to patching, consider the following security best practices:
- Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure users and applications only have the minimum necessary permissions to perform their tasks.
- Input Validation: Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied data, especially file paths.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities in your OpenStack environment.
- Stay Updated: Keep your OpenStack components and dependencies up-to-date with the latest security patches.
