A newly identified vulnerability, CVE-2023-36052, affects the popular Azure Command Line Interface (CLI) tool, a widely used management solution for Azure resources. This vulnerability allows an attacker to gain sensitive information, such as credentials and other configuration settings, by exploiting how the Azure CLI sends REST commands. In this blog post, we will dive into the details of the Azure CLI REST command information disclosure vulnerability and provide guidance on how to safeguard your Azure environment.

The Vulnerability

As mentioned, the CVE-2023-36052 vulnerability directly pertains to the Azure CLI. This command line tool provides an interface for developers and administrators to manage resources within the Azure ecosystem. Through this tool, users can create, manage, and delete resources such as virtual machines and storage accounts.

The exploit manifests itself in the Azure CLI's processing of REST commands. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker can intercept and obtain sensitive information from these REST commands. This information may include credentials for the Azure environment, resource configuration details, and other potentially sensitive data.

What Makes It Dangerous

This vulnerability poses a risk to organizations relying on the Azure CLI for managing their resources. If an attacker gains access to sensitive information, they can potentially escalate privileges within the environment, exfiltrate data, or execute other malicious actions.

Exploit Details

The core issue with this vulnerability involves the lack of proper encryption during the transmission of REST commands in the Azure CLI. When a user sends a REST command using the CLI, the tool does not apply the correct security measures to protect the data from unauthorized access.

Here's an example code snippet demonstrating the vulnerability

from azure.cli.core import get_az_rest
url = 'https://management.azure.com/subscriptions/{subscription_id}/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines?api-version={api_version}';
response = get_az_rest(url)
print(response)

In the above code, the get_az_rest(url) function does not encrypt the REST call correctly before sending it to the API, leaving it vulnerable to interception.

Mitigations

The ideal way to mitigate this vulnerability would be to update the Azure CLI. As stated by Microsoft, they have patched the vulnerability in the latest version of the tool (specific version numbers can be found here). It is highly encouraged that users update to the most recent version as soon as possible.

Reviewing Azure logs for evidence of unauthorized access or suspicious activity.

4. Configuring the Azure CLI to use secure transport channels, such as HTTPS or SSL/TLS, whenever possible.

For even further protection, users can follow security best practices for Azure environments, as outlined in Microsoft's documentation.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-36052 represents a notable risk to organizations utilizing Azure CLI for managing their resources. By understanding the exploit and taking the necessary steps to mitigate the threat, users can substantially diminish the risk associated with this vulnerability. Additionally, staying informed about security updates and consistently applying them will help to ensure the ongoing security of your Azure environment.

Timeline

Published on: 11/14/2023 18:15:36 UTC
Last modified on: 11/20/2023 18:13:20 UTC