CVE-2023-3089: Red Hat OpenShift Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2023-3089 Overview

A compliance problem was discovered in the Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform where FIPS mode was not properly enforcing cryptographic module validation. Red Hat identified that when FIPS mode was enabled, not all of the cryptographic modules in use were FIPS-validated. This security gap means that organizations relying on FIPS compliance for regulatory requirements may be operating with a false sense of cryptographic security, potentially exposing sensitive data to unauthorized disclosure.

Critical Impact

Organizations running OpenShift Container Platform with FIPS mode enabled are not receiving the expected level of cryptographic protection, potentially violating compliance requirements and exposing confidential information to network-based attackers.

Affected Products

• Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.10, 4.11, 4.12
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0, 8.0, 9.0
• Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform for LinuxONE 4.10, 4.11, 4.12
• Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform for Power 4.10, 4.11, 4.12
• Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform IBM Z Systems 4.10, 4.11, 4.12
• Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform for ARM64 4.10, 4.11, 4.12

Discovery Timeline

• July 5, 2023 - CVE-2023-3089 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-3089

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a cryptographic compliance failure (CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure, CWE-521: Weak Password Requirements) within the Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. When administrators enable FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) mode on affected systems, they expect all cryptographic operations to utilize FIPS 140-2 validated modules. However, Red Hat discovered that certain cryptographic modules operating within the platform were not properly FIPS-validated, creating a gap between the expected and actual security posture.

The impact is particularly severe for organizations in regulated industries (government, healthcare, finance) that are mandated to use FIPS-validated cryptography. The vulnerability allows network-based attackers to potentially intercept or access confidential data that was assumed to be protected by FIPS-compliant encryption but was actually processed through non-validated cryptographic modules.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from incomplete implementation of FIPS mode within the OpenShift Container Platform. When FIPS mode is enabled at the operating system level, all cryptographic libraries and modules should automatically switch to using only FIPS-validated algorithms and implementations. However, certain components within OpenShift were not properly configured to honor the FIPS mode setting, resulting in the use of non-validated cryptographic modules for some operations.

This configuration oversight creates a protection mechanism failure where the security control (FIPS mode) does not provide the intended protection across all platform components.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. An attacker positioned on the network could potentially:

1. Identify traffic encrypted with non-FIPS-validated modules
2. Exploit weaker cryptographic implementations to decrypt sensitive communications
3. Access confidential information that administrators believed was protected by FIPS-compliant encryption

Since no code examples are available for this vulnerability, the attack mechanism involves exploiting the gap between expected FIPS-compliant cryptography and the actual non-validated modules in use. Organizations should consult the Red Hat CVE-2023-3089 Advisory for detailed technical information about affected components.

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-3089

Indicators of Compromise

• Systems configured with FIPS mode enabled but showing non-FIPS cryptographic module usage in audit logs
• Cryptographic operations using algorithms not included in the FIPS 140-2 approved list
• OpenShift pods or containers utilizing unapproved cryptographic libraries
• Audit records showing mixed FIPS and non-FIPS module activity on the same system

Detection Strategies

• Audit cryptographic module usage across all OpenShift nodes using fips-mode-setup --check and verify the output
• Review OpenShift cluster configurations to identify any components not properly configured for FIPS compliance
• Implement monitoring for cryptographic operations that bypass FIPS-validated modules
• Use Red Hat's compliance scanning tools to identify FIPS configuration gaps

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced auditing for cryptographic operations on affected OpenShift clusters
• Monitor system logs for cryptographic module initialization and usage patterns
• Implement alerting for any non-FIPS cryptographic operations when FIPS mode is expected
• Regularly validate FIPS compliance status using automated compliance checks

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-3089

Immediate Actions Required

• Verify FIPS mode configuration on all affected OpenShift Container Platform deployments
• Audit all cryptographic module usage to identify non-compliant components
• Review the Red Hat Bug Report #2212085 for specific guidance
• Apply vendor-provided patches as they become available for affected versions

Patch Information

Red Hat has acknowledged this vulnerability and provides remediation guidance through their official security advisories. Organizations should monitor the Red Hat CVE-2023-3089 Advisory for updated patch information and remediation steps. The advisory covers OpenShift Container Platform versions 4.10, 4.11, and 4.12 across all supported architectures including x86_64, ARM64, IBM Z Systems, Power, and LinuxONE.

Workarounds

• Implement additional network-level encryption (TLS 1.3) for sensitive communications while awaiting patches
• Consider network segmentation to limit exposure of systems handling FIPS-regulated data
• Document compliance gaps for auditors and implement compensating controls where applicable
• Monitor Red Hat's security advisories for updated mitigation guidance

# Verify FIPS mode status on RHEL-based systems
fips-mode-setup --check

# Check if FIPS mode is enabled at kernel level
cat /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled

# List loaded cryptographic modules and their validation status
update-crypto-policies --show