# CVE-2024-43803: BMO can expose particularly named secrets from other namespaces via BMH CRD

> An attacker with BMH creation rights can exfiltrate secrets from other namespaces by referencing them in host provisioning data.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 3 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pqfh-xh7w-7h3p, GO-2024-3109

## What is CVE-2024-43803?

CVE-2024-43803 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in metal3-io baremetal-operator, published on 3 Sep 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Bare Metal Operator (BMO) implements a Kubernetes API for managing bare metal hosts in Metal3. The `BareMetalHost` (BMH) CRD allows the `userData`, `metaData`, and `networkData` for the provisioned host to be specified as links to Kubernetes Secrets. There are fields for both the `Name` and `Namespace` of the Secret, meaning that versions of the baremetal-operator prior to 0.8.0, 0.6.2, and 0.5.2 will read a `Secret` from any namespace. A user with access to create or edit a `BareMetalHost` can thus exfiltrate a `Secret` from another namespace by using it as e.g. the `userData` for provisioning some host (note that this need not be a real host, it could be a VM somewhere).

BMO will only read a key with the name `value` (or `userData`, `metaData`, or `networkData`), so that limits the exposure somewhat. `value` is probably a pretty common key though. Secrets used by _other_ `BareMetalHost`s in different namespaces are always vulnerable. It is probably relatively unusual for anyone other than cluster administrators to have RBAC access to create/edit a `BareMetalHost`. This vulnerability is only meaningful, if the cluster has users other than administrators and users' privileges are limited to their respective namespaces.

The patch prevents BMO from accepting links to Secrets from other namespaces as BMH input. Any BMH configuration is only read from the same namespace only. The problem is patched in BMO releases v0.7.0, v0.6.2 and v0.5.2 and users should upgrade to those versions. Prior upgrading, duplicate the BMC Secrets to the namespace where the corresponding BMH is. After upgrade, remove the old Secrets. As a workaround, an operator can configure BMO RBAC to be namespace scoped for Secrets, instead of cluster scoped, to prevent BMO from accessing Secrets from other namespaces.

Weakness: CWE-653 (Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization), CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-43803?

7 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator` | Go | All versions | 0.5.2, 0.6.2, 0.8.0 |
| `github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator` | Go | All versions | 0.5.2 |
| `github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator` | Go | All versions | 0.5.2 |
| `github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator` | Go | From 0.6.0 | 0.6.2 |
| `github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator` | Go | From 0.6.0 | 0.6.2 |
| `github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator` | Go | From 0.7.0-rc.0 | 0.8.0 |
| `github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator` | Go | From 0.7.0-rc.0 | 0.8.0 |

## How do I fix CVE-2024-43803?

Upgrade github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator to a fixed version for your release line: 0.5.2, 0.6.2 or 0.8.0.

## Is CVE-2024-43803 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-43803 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-43803 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-43803 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in metal3-io baremetal-operator, published on 3 Sep 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-43803 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.5.2, 0.6.2, 0.8.0
- github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.5.2
- github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.5.2
- github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator (Go): affected from 0.6.0; fixed in 0.6.2
- github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator (Go): affected from 0.6.0; fixed in 0.6.2
- github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator (Go): affected from 0.7.0-rc.0; fixed in 0.8.0
- github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator (Go): affected from 0.7.0-rc.0; fixed in 0.8.0

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-2024-43803/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43803/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-43803
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-43803
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-43803

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43803/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.