# CVE-2014-4658: Ansible Sensitive Files Are Locally Readable

> Local attackers can read sensitive key information from Ansible vault files due to missing umask settings during file creation.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Feb 2020
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2014-4658, GHSA-5g4v-2pc6-4hh4, PYSEC-2020-200, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-4658

## What is CVE-2014-4658?

CVE-2014-4658 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Feb 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The vault subsystem in Ansible before 1.5.5 does not set the umask before creation or modification of a vault file, which allows local users to obtain sensitive key information by reading a file.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-4658?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including ansible. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ansible` | PyPI | All versions | 1.5.5 |
| `ansible` | PyPI | All versions | 1.5.5 |
| `ansible` | PyPI | All versions | 1.5.5 |

Products: Redhat Ansible.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-4658?

Upgrade ansible to 1.5.5 or later.

## Is CVE-2014-4658 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-4658 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2014-4657](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4657/): Ansible Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-4966](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4966/): Ansible Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-4967](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4967/): Ansible Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-7550](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7550/): Ansible Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File vulnerability (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-3498](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3498/): Ansible Arbitrary Code Execution (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-4658 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-4658 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Feb 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-4658 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- ansible (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.5.5
- ansible (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.5.5
- ansible (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.5.5

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-2014-4658/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4658/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-4658
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4658
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-4658

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4658/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.