Ansible TowerApplication · Redhat
CVE-2017-12148
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 · uneditedA flaw was found in Ansible Tower's interface before 3.1.5 and 3.2.0 with SCM repositories. If a Tower project (SCM repository) definition does not have the 'delete before update' flag set, an attacker with commit access to the upstream playbook source repository could create a Trojan playbook that, when executed by Tower, modifies the checked out SCM repository to add git hooks. These git hooks could, in turn, cause arbitrary command and code execution as the user Tower runs as.
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 confidenceA code execution vulnerability in Ansible Tower exists when the 'delete before update' flag is not set on SCM repository project definitions. An attacker with upstream commit access can embed malicious code in a playbook that, when executed by Tower, modifies the git repository to add hooks, achieving arbitrary command execution as the Tower service user.
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
Ansible TowerApplication
< 3.1.5< 3.2.0
CloudformsApplication
= 4.5CVSS 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
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 Ansible Tower or CloudForms installationLocate the Ansible Tower installation and determine its version. This can typically be done by checking the Tower web interface under 'Administration > Settings' or using the 'awx-manage --version' command if accessible.Affected if The installed version is less than 3.1.5 or less than 3.2.0, or the CloudForms version is 4.5
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Enumerate SCM-based projectsIn the Ansible Tower web interface, navigate to the Projects section and identify any projects configured with Source Control Management (SCM) such as Git, Subversion, or Mercurial.Affected if There are projects using SCM source control configured
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Inspect the 'delete before update' flag on each SCM projectFor each SCM-configured project, open the project settings and locate the 'Delete before update' option (often found under SCM options or project update settings). Verify whether this flag is enabled or disabled for each project.Affected if The 'delete before update' flag is disabled or not set on any SCM project definition
A system is affected if Ansible Tower/CloudForms version falls within the affected ranges AND any SCM project has the 'delete before update' flag disabled or unset, allowing malicious playbooks to inject git hooks during updates.
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 data3.1.53.2.0
Enable the 'delete before update' flag on all SCM project definitions in Tower, or upgrade to Ansible Tower 3.1.5/3.2.0 or later which addresses this vulnerability.
Fix this in Ansible Tower
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-12148 — 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-2017-12148 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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