Unauthenticated access to Ironic API
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-306.
Summary
ironic-image is a container image to run OpenStack Ironic as part of Metal³. Prior to version capm3-v1.4.3, if Ironic is not deployed with TLS and it does not have API and Conductor split into separate services, access to the API is not protected by any authentication. Ironic API is also listening in host network. In case the node is not behind a firewall, the API could be accessed by anyone via network without authentication. By default, Ironic API in Metal3 is protected by TLS and basic authentication, so this vulnerability requires operator to configure API without TLS for it to be vulnerable. TLS and authentication however should not be coupled as they are in versions prior to capm3-v1.4.3. A patch exists in versions capm3-v1.4.3 and newer. Some workarounds are available. Either configure TLS for Ironic API (`deploy.sh -t ...`, `IRONIC_TLS_SETUP=true`) or split Ironic API and Conductor via configuration change (old implementation, not recommended). With both workarounds, services are configured with httpd front-end, which has proper authentication configuration in place.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-40585
References
More metal3-io vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-21192 Bare Metal Operator (BMO) can expose any secret from other namespaces via BMCEventSubscription CRD CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2024-29397 BMO can expose particularly named secrets from other namespaces via BMH CRD CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.9
- TI-2024-20827 Ironic-image allows unauthenticated local access to Ironic API CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.7
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences