CVE-2018-3825 : What You Need to Know

CVE-2018-3825 was published on September 19, 2018, and affects Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE) versions before 1.1.4. The vulnerability stems from the use of a predictable default master encryption key in the process of granting ZooKeeper access to Elasticsearch clusters.

Understanding CVE-2018-3825

Before version 1.1.4 of Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE), the vulnerability allowed attackers with direct access to ZooKeeper and knowledge of a cluster's ID to potentially retrieve configuration data of other tenants.

What is CVE-2018-3825?

This CVE refers to the use of a hard-coded cryptographic key in Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE) versions prior to 1.1.4, enabling unauthorized access to Elasticsearch cluster configuration data.

The Impact of CVE-2018-3825

The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive configuration information of other tenants within the affected ECE deployments.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-3825

In-depth technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the predictable default master encryption key used in granting ZooKeeper access to Elasticsearch clusters in ECE versions before 1.1.4.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE)
Vendor: Elastic
Versions Affected: Before 1.1.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers gaining direct access to ZooKeeper and possessing knowledge of a cluster's ID could exploit the predictable default master encryption key to access configuration data of other tenants.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent the CVE-2018-3825 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Elastic Cloud Enterprise to version 1.1.4 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict access to ZooKeeper to authorized personnel only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strong access controls and encryption mechanisms to safeguard sensitive data.
Regularly review and update cryptographic keys and configurations to enhance security.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches and updates provided by Elastic to address known vulnerabilities and enhance system security.