PackstackApplication · Redhat
CVE-2014-3703
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 · uneditedOpenStack PackStack 2012.2.1, when the Open vSwitch (OVS) monolithic plug-in is not used, does not properly set the libvirt_vif_driver configuration option when generating the nova.conf configuration, which causes the firewall to be disabled and allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions.
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 · moderate confidenceOpenStack PackStack 2012.2.1 fails to properly set the libvirt_vif_driver configuration option in nova.conf when the Open vSwitch monolithic plug-in is not in use. This misconfiguration results in the firewall being disabled, allowing remote attackers to bypass intended network access restrictions.
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
PackstackApplication
= 2012.2.1CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
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 PackStack installation versionCheck the installed PackStack version by running 'rpm -q packstack' or 'packstack --version'Affected if The installed version is exactly 2012.2.1 (this CVE only affects this specific version)
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Locate the nova.conf configuration fileFind the nova.conf file, typically located in /etc/nova/nova.conf on the Compute node(s)Affected if File exists and is readable for inspection
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Check libvirt_vif_driver setting in nova.confSearch for 'libvirt_vif_driver' in nova.conf using 'grep libvirt_vif_driver /etc/nova/nova.conf'Affected if The setting is missing, commented out, or not properly configured in nova.conf
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Determine if Open vSwitch monolithic plug-in is in useInspect nova.conf for the 'libvirt_vif_driver' or 'network_api_class' settings. Check if OVS monolithic plug-in (openvswitch_vifdriver) is configured, or look for 'ovs' in network-related settingsAffected if Open vSwitch monolithic plug-in is NOT in use (the misconfiguration applies specifically in this scenario)
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Verify firewall statusCheck if the firewall is active and working by running 'iptables -L -n' or 'firewall-cmd --list-all' (depending on OS), and verify iptables rules exist for nova network trafficAffected if Firewall rules are absent, disabled, or no iptables rules exist for nova security groups
You are affected if running PackStack 2012.2.1, nova.conf lacks a proper libvirt_vif_driver setting, Open vSwitch monolithic plug-in is not in use, and the firewall is disabled or missing expected rules.
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 dataEnsure the libvirt_vif_driver is explicitly configured in nova.conf regardless of OVS usage, and verify that firewall rules are active. Upgrading to a patched PackStack version is recommended.
Fix this in Packstack
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,544.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-3703 — 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-2014-3703 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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