Cloudforms 3.0 Management EngineApplication · Redhat
CVE-2014-3486
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe (1) shell_exec function in lib/util/MiqSshUtilV1.rb and (2) temp_cmd_file function in lib/util/MiqSshUtilV2.rb in Red Hat CloudForms 3.0 Management Engine (CFME) before 5.2.4.2 allow local users to execute arbitrary commands via a symlink attack on a temporary file with a predictable name.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe shell_exec function in lib/util/MiqSshUtilV1.rb and temp_cmd_file function in lib/util/MiqSshUtilV2.rb in Red Hat CloudForms 3.0 Management Engine create temporary files with predictable names, allowing local users to perform symlink attacks and execute arbitrary commands.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Cloudforms 3.0 Management EngineApplication
<= 5.2.4= 5.2= 5.2.1= 5.2.1.6= 5.2.2= 5.2.3= 5.2.3.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify CloudForms Management Engine versionRun 'rpm -q cfme' or check the Appliance CLI with 'appliance_console --version' to determine the installed CloudForms versionAffected if The installed version matches <= 5.2.4, = 5.2, = 5.2.1, = 5.2.1.6, = 5.2.2, = 5.2.3, or = 5.2.3.2
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Locate vulnerable SSH utility Ruby filesSearch for lib/util/MiqSshUtilV1.rb and lib/util/MiqSshUtilV2.rb in the appliance filesystem, typically under /var/www/vmdb or the CloudForms installation rootAffected if These files exist and contain the shell_exec or temp_cmd_file functions respectively
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Verify SSH provisioning feature is enabledCheck if CloudForms is configured with SSH key-based authentication or SSH provisioning profiles by examining the UI under Infrastructure -> Providers or Configuration -> Access ControlAffected if SSH-based provisioning or SSH credentials are configured and the vulnerable code is being executed during VM provisioning operations
A system is affected if it runs CloudForms Management Engine version 5.2.x through 5.2.4 and utilizes the SSH provisioning or management features that invoke the vulnerable MiqSshUtilV1 or MiqSshUtilV2 modules with predictable temporary file handling.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade to CloudForms Management Engine 5.2.4.2 or later to obtain the vendor patch that implements secure temporary file handling.
Fix this in Cloudforms 3.0 Management Engine
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-3486 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-3486 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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