UNKNOWN CVSS 3.5
Published: 2013-09-16

CVE-2013-4278

openstack compute Security Advisory (CVE-2013-4278)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2013-4278 impacting openstack compute. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 3.5 (UNKNOWN).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
The "create an instance" API in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom, Grizzly, and Havana does not properly enforce the os-flavor-access:is_public property, which allows remote authenticated users to boot arbitrary flavors by guessing the flavor id. NOTE: this issue is due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-2256.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product openstack / compute
Affected Versions -
Weakness Enumeration CWE-264

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2013-4278 impacting openstack compute.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2013-4278.yaml
id: cve-2013-4278

info:
  name: openstack compute - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: unknown
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2013-4278 affecting openstack compute.
    Evaluation: The "create an instance" API in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom, Grizzly, and Havana does not properly enforce the os-flavor-access:is_publi...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2013-4278
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 3.5
    cve-id: CVE-2013-4278
    cwe-id: CWE-264
  tags: cve,cve-2013-4278,openstack,compute,unknown

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "compute"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2013-4278.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2013-4278
# Target: openstack compute | CVSS: 3.5 (UNKNOWN)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2013-4278 (openstack compute)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against openstack compute scope (-).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2013-4278.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2013-4278
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install compute 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade compute 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update compute

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i compute 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i compute

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2013-4278 in openstack compute?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update openstack compute packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2013-4278?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2013-4278?

CVE-2013-4278 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 3.5 (UNKNOWN). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
3.5
UNKNOWN SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2013-4278
Weakness CWE-264
Vendor openstack
Product compute
Published 2013-09-16
Vector AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N