LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2011-4596: Multiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in OpenStack Nova before 2011.3.1, when the EC2 API and the S3...

Multiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in OpenStack Nova before 2011.3.1, when the EC2 API and the S3/RegisterImage image-registration method are enabled, allow remote authenticated users to overwrite arbitrary files via a crafted (1) tarball or (2) manifest.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This is an old OpenStack Nova flaw where a logged-in user could abuse image registration to overwrite files on the Nova system. It only applies when the EC2 API and S3/RegisterImage path are enabled on Nova versions before 2011.3.1.

Executive priority

Prioritize this only if the organization still operates legacy OpenStack Nova. For affected clouds, treat it as high priority because authenticated users could alter files on infrastructure systems. If no pre-2011.3.1 Nova exists, business urgency is low.

Technical view

Nova before 2011.3.1 had directory traversal issues while processing EC2 image registration tarballs or manifests. A remote authenticated user could cause arbitrary file overwrite. The provided sources link this to OSSA 2011-001 and Nova fixes, but do not provide CVSS, CWE, package mappings, or current exploit evidence.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in legacy OpenStack private clouds running Nova before 2011.3.1 with EC2 API and S3/RegisterImage enabled. The source bundle does not identify default configurations or supported downstream packages. Modern deployments are less likely affected, but frozen appliances and long-lived private clouds should be checked.

Exploitation context

The bundle supports remote authenticated exploitation, not unauthenticated exploitation. It also states arbitrary file overwrite, which can be serious for cloud control-plane hosts. There is no KEV listing and no cited source in the bundle showing active exploitation in the wild.

Researcher notes

Key evidence is limited to the CVE description, OpenStack advisory reference, Launchpad bugs, and Nova commits. The bundle does not include CVSS scoring, exact CWE assignment, affected downstream distributions, or exploit-in-the-wild evidence. Avoid assuming broader OpenStack services are affected.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade OpenStack Nova to 2011.3.1 or later.
  • Review OSSA 2011-001 and vendor guidance for downstream package fixes.
  • Disable EC2 API image registration paths if they are not required.
  • Restrict image registration privileges to trusted users.
  • Check affected hosts for unexpected file changes around image registration activity.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Nova versions and confirm whether any are older than 2011.3.1.
  • Verify whether EC2 API and S3/RegisterImage image registration are enabled.
  • Review identity records for users allowed to register images.
  • Inspect image registration logs for unusual tarball or manifest failures.
  • Confirm deployed packages include the referenced Nova fixes.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
7

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

description · low confidence lookup

File access behavior lookup

The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2011-4596 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
6Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.