Date: September 15th, 2020
Affected Versions:
- Nexus Repository 3 versions up to and including 3.26.1
Fixed in Version:
- Nexus Repository 3 version 3.27.0 and later
Risk:
Medium - 4.1 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N)
Summary:
A sensitive information disclosure (SID) vulnerability has been discovered in Nexus Repository 3.
An attacker with sufficient privileges can retrieve the configuration of an S3 blob store including the AWS credentials used to connect to S3 if an access key ID and secret key have been explicitly set. We have fixed the issue by ensuring the credentials can never be retrieved by any user. This advisory provides the pertinent information needed to properly address this vulnerability, along with the details on how to reach us if you have any further questions or concerns.
We are not aware of any active exploits taking advantage of this issue. However, we strongly encourage all users of Nexus Repository 3 to immediately take the steps outlined in this advisory. We are highly recommending all instances of Nexus Repository 3 be upgraded to 3.27.1 or later. The latest versions can be downloaded from:
For detailed information on upgrading, please see:
Upgrading Nexus Repository 3.1.0 and Newer
Support:
If you run into any problems, or have any questions/concerns, please contact us by filing a ticket at https://support.sonatype.com.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the risk associated with this vulnerability?
A: An attacker with administrative privileges can reconfigure an S3 blob store to retrieve a plain text copy of the AWS secret key used to connect to S3.
Q: What preconditions must be met in order to be vulnerable?
A: An attacker must have administrative access or have been granted specific privileges to the Repository Manager and the S3 blob store must be configured to connect with an AWS access key ID and secret key.
Q: Are there implications associated with this advisory itself?
A: Unfortunately, disclosure means bad actors may try to take advantage. While we have initially limited the information to the minimum details necessary for users to affect an appropriate fix, this merely slows down a would be attacker. As such, we are advising all organizations utilizing Nexus Repository to immediately assess their individual impact and take appropriate action in response.
Q: Where can I obtain more information associated with the vulnerability?
A: At this time, and in the interest of best protecting our user community, we are limiting the information released to that absolutely required in order to assess impact and affect remediation. Please contact support for more information.
Q: Why is Sonatype making this information available?
A: This is part of a responsible disclosure process. We are taking a concerted and proactive approach in our outreach activities and an effort to achieve the most rapid remediation possible.