# CVE-2013-4497: OpenStack Compute Nova Improper Access Control

> Remote attackers can bypass security group restrictions during image resizing or live migration in OpenStack Compute.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 5 Nov 2013
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2013-4497, GHSA-27q4-38qf-m25h, PYSEC-2026-859

## What is CVE-2013-4497?

CVE-2013-4497 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Nov 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The XenAPI backend in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom, Grizzly, and Havana before 2013.2 does not properly apply security groups (1) when resizing an image or (2) during live migration, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended restrictions.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-4497?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including nova. It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nova` | PyPI | All versions | 12.0.0a0 |
| `nova` | PyPI | All versions | 12.0.0a0 |
| `nova` | PyPI | All versions | 12.0.0a0 |

Products: Openstack Folsom, Openstack Grizzly, Openstack Havana.

## How do I fix CVE-2013-4497?

Upgrade nova to 12.0.0a0 or later.

## Is CVE-2013-4497 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-4497 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2013-2161](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2161/): OpenStack Swift Unchecked user input in XML responses (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2013-1665](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1665/): XML External Entity (XXE) in Django (medium 5.0)
- [CVE-2012-3447](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3447/): Arbitrary file overwrite in OpenStack Nova (medium 4.9)
- [CVE-2012-5625](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5625/): OpenStack Nova Information leak in libvirt LVM-backed instances (medium 4.3)
- [CVE-2013-4155](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4155/): OpenStack Swift allows authenticated users to cause a denial of service (medium 4.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2013-4497 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2013-4497 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Nov 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-4497 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 12.0.0a0
- nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 12.0.0a0
- nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 12.0.0a0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4497/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4497/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-4497
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-4497
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-4497

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4497/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.