CVE-2011-5098: n/a vulnerability

CVE-2011-5098: chef-server-api/app/controllers/clients.rb in Chef Server in Chef before 0.9.20, and 0.10.x before 0.10.6,...

chef-server-api/app/controllers/clients.rb in Chef Server in Chef before 0.9.20, and 0.10.x before 0.10.6, does not require administrative privileges for creating admin clients, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions by leveraging read permission for the validation key and executing a knife client create command with the --admin option.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdatedSep 17, 2024, 03:42 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Security readout for executives and security teams

Older Chef Server versions allowed an already authenticated user with access to the validation key to create an administrative client. That could convert limited access into control over Chef-managed systems, making this important for any environment still running legacy Chef Server. Exposure is likely limited to legacy Chef Server deployments running the vulnerable version ranges, especially where non-admin users or automation can read the validation key. Prioritize remediation for any internet-accessible or shared Chef Server. For retired or isolated legacy systems, confirm status and document risk acceptance if upgrade is not feasible. Mitigation focus: Upgrade Chef Server beyond the vulnerable version ranges named in the CVE.; Restrict validation-key access to only trusted administrative automation.; Audit existing admin clients for unexpected or unauthorized entries..

Prepared: Jun 27, 2026, 17:28 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2011-5098 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: Aug 8, 2012, 10:00 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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

2Source links

CVSS and timeline data

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

Source materials

CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
https://github.com/opscode/chef/commit/33f0e9c58bbf047e1b401a834f3abfe72d9a8947CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM

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.