CVE-2022-38060 is a high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability affecting OpenStack, specifically the Kolla deployment using the git master version 05194e7618. The vulnerability arises from improper privilege management (CWE-269) within the sudo configuration inside a container environment. A misconfiguration in the /etc/sudoers file allows a user with limited privileges to escalate their permissions, potentially gaining root-level access or equivalent elevated privileges within the container or host environment. The vulnerability is characterized by a low attack vector (local access required), low attack complexity, and requires some privileges but no user interaction. The scope is changed, meaning the impact extends beyond the initially compromised component. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects the critical impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, all rated high. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild, the vulnerability presents a significant risk in environments where OpenStack Kolla containers are deployed with the affected sudoers misconfiguration. This vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass container isolation and gain unauthorized control over cloud infrastructure components, leading to data breaches, service disruption, or further lateral movement within the cloud environment.

For European organizations leveraging OpenStack, especially those using Kolla containers for cloud infrastructure deployment, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized privilege escalation, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data and cloud services. The availability of critical cloud resources could also be disrupted, impacting business continuity. Given the widespread adoption of OpenStack in European public and private sectors, including telecommunications, research institutions, and government agencies, the vulnerability could facilitate attacks that undermine trust in cloud services and lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR due to potential data breaches. The local attack vector implies that attackers need some level of access, which could be obtained through other vulnerabilities or insider threats, making layered security controls essential. The potential for scope change means that a single container compromise could affect the broader cloud infrastructure, amplifying the impact.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately review and correct the /etc/sudoers configuration within all OpenStack Kolla containers to ensure no excessive privileges are granted inadvertently. 2) Apply the latest patches or updates from the OpenStack community or vendors as they become available, even though no official patch links are currently provided. 3) Implement strict access controls and monitoring on container environments to detect and prevent unauthorized privilege escalations. 4) Employ container security best practices, including minimal privilege principles, regular audits of sudoers files, and use of security tools that can detect misconfigurations. 5) Restrict local access to container hosts and enforce multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of initial access. 6) Conduct regular security training for administrators managing OpenStack environments to recognize and avoid misconfigurations. 7) Use runtime security monitoring and anomaly detection to identify suspicious privilege escalation attempts promptly.