CVE-2023-4065 is a vulnerability identified in the Red Hat AMQ Broker Operator component used within RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers. The issue arises from improper output neutralization for logs (CWE-117), where sensitive information such as passwords defined in the ActiveMQArtemisAddress Custom Resource (CR) is logged in plaintext within the Operator logs. This flaw allows an authenticated local attacker with low privileges to read operator logs and extract passwords that should be protected, thereby gaining access to information beyond their authorized permissions. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, indicating medium severity, with an attack vector of local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), and requiring privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H) without affecting integrity or availability. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the exposure of plaintext credentials in logs presents a significant risk for lateral movement or privilege escalation within affected environments. The vulnerability affects middleware containers based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, commonly used in enterprise messaging and integration platforms. The flaw underscores the importance of secure logging practices, especially in environments handling sensitive credentials and configurations.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of credential leakage within middleware container environments, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges or move laterally across internal networks. Since the flaw exposes passwords in plaintext logs accessible to authenticated local users, insider threats or compromised accounts with limited privileges could exploit this to gain unauthorized access to messaging infrastructure. This could lead to data breaches, disruption of critical messaging services, or unauthorized data access. Organizations relying on Red Hat RHEL-8 based middleware containers for enterprise messaging, integration, or application communication are particularly at risk. The impact is heightened in sectors with strict data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government, where unauthorized access to messaging systems could violate compliance mandates like GDPR. Additionally, the medium severity rating indicates that while the vulnerability is not trivially exploitable remotely, the potential confidentiality breach warrants prompt attention to prevent escalation scenarios.

1. Restrict access to operator logs strictly to trusted administrators and systems to minimize exposure of sensitive information. 2. Implement log monitoring and auditing to detect any unauthorized access or unusual log access patterns. 3. Apply Red Hat vendor patches or updates addressing this vulnerability as soon as they become available. 4. Review and sanitize logging configurations to avoid logging sensitive data such as passwords in plaintext. 5. Employ role-based access controls (RBAC) within Kubernetes or container orchestration platforms to limit which users can access Custom Resources and operator logs. 6. Use secrets management solutions to handle sensitive credentials securely rather than embedding them in Custom Resources. 7. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on middleware container environments to identify similar misconfigurations or exposures. 8. Educate administrators and developers about secure logging practices and the risks of exposing sensitive information in logs.