CVE-2018-11746 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Puppet Discovery can leak authentication information due to a vulnerability in versions prior to 1.2.0, potentially exposing login credentials.

Understanding CVE-2018-11746

If a HTTPS server is unavailable in Puppet Discovery versions before 1.2.0, WinRM connections on Windows hosts may resort to basic authentication over insecure channels, leading to credential exposure.

What is CVE-2018-11746?

The CVE-2018-11746 vulnerability in Puppet Discovery versions before 1.2.0 allows for potential leakage of authentication information when conducting Discovery on Windows hosts.

The Impact of CVE-2018-11746

The vulnerability poses a high severity risk with a CVSS base score of 8.6, impacting confidentiality by exposing login credentials.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-11746

Puppet Discovery vulnerability details and affected systems.

Vulnerability Description

In Puppet Discovery versions prior to 1.2.0, WinRM connections on Windows hosts can fall back to basic authentication over insecure channels if a HTTPS server is not available, potentially exposing login credentials.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Puppet Discovery
Vendor: Puppet
Versions Affected: < 1.2.0 (unspecified)

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Changed

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-11746 and preventing credential exposure.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Puppet Discovery to version 1.2.0 or newer.
Ensure HTTPS servers are available for WinRM connections.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure authentication mechanisms.
Regularly monitor and audit WinRM connections for security.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches and updates provided by Puppet to address the vulnerability.