CVE-2024-0690: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs
An information disclosure flaw was found in ansible-core due to a failure to respect the ANSIBLE_NO_LOG configuration in some scenarios. Information is still included in the output in certain tasks, such as loop items. Depending on the task, this issue may include sensitive information, such as decrypted secret values.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2024-0690 is an information disclosure vulnerability identified in ansible-core versions 2.14.0 through 2.16.0. The root cause is the improper handling of the ANSIBLE_NO_LOG configuration flag, which is intended to suppress sensitive information from being logged during playbook execution. However, in certain scenarios—particularly tasks involving loop items—this configuration is not fully respected, resulting in sensitive data, including decrypted secret values, being included in the output logs. This flaw arises from insufficient output neutralization for logs, allowing confidential information to be inadvertently recorded. The vulnerability requires local access with limited privileges and user interaction to trigger, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R). The impact is primarily on confidentiality, with no direct effect on integrity or availability. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the exposure of secrets in logs can facilitate further attacks if an adversary gains access to these logs. The vulnerability affects automation workflows that rely on ansible-core for configuration management, potentially compromising secrets used in deployment or orchestration processes. The issue was publicly disclosed on February 6, 2024, and is tracked under CVE-2024-0690 with a medium severity rating and a CVSS score of 5.0.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-0690 is the unintended disclosure of sensitive information such as decrypted secrets within ansible-core logs. This can lead to exposure of credentials, API keys, or other confidential data used in automation tasks, increasing the risk of lateral movement, privilege escalation, or data breaches. Organizations in sectors with stringent data protection requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) face heightened compliance risks under GDPR if such data leakage occurs. The vulnerability could undermine trust in automation pipelines and complicate incident response efforts. Since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the threat is more pronounced in environments where multiple users have access to automation systems or where insider threats exist. The lack of impact on integrity and availability means operational disruption is unlikely, but confidentiality breaches can have long-term consequences. European entities relying heavily on ansible-core for infrastructure management should consider this vulnerability a significant risk to their secret management and operational security.
Mitigation Recommendations
To mitigate CVE-2024-0690, organizations should: 1) Monitor for and apply updates or patches from ansible-core maintainers as soon as they become available, as no patch links are currently provided. 2) Review and audit existing playbooks and automation scripts to identify tasks that use loops or handle sensitive data, ensuring that ANSIBLE_NO_LOG is correctly applied and effective. 3) Restrict access to ansible logs and automation environments to trusted personnel only, implementing strict access controls and monitoring. 4) Employ secret management solutions external to ansible playbooks to minimize exposure of decrypted secrets within automation workflows. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of logging sensitive information and enforce policies to avoid logging secrets unnecessarily. 6) Implement logging sanitization or log aggregation tools that can filter or redact sensitive data before storage or analysis. 7) Conduct regular security assessments of automation infrastructure to detect potential information leakage. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific failure mode of ANSIBLE_NO_LOG and the operational context of ansible-core usage.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden
CVE-2024-0690: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs
Description
An information disclosure flaw was found in ansible-core due to a failure to respect the ANSIBLE_NO_LOG configuration in some scenarios. Information is still included in the output in certain tasks, such as loop items. Depending on the task, this issue may include sensitive information, such as decrypted secret values.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2024-0690 is an information disclosure vulnerability identified in ansible-core versions 2.14.0 through 2.16.0. The root cause is the improper handling of the ANSIBLE_NO_LOG configuration flag, which is intended to suppress sensitive information from being logged during playbook execution. However, in certain scenarios—particularly tasks involving loop items—this configuration is not fully respected, resulting in sensitive data, including decrypted secret values, being included in the output logs. This flaw arises from insufficient output neutralization for logs, allowing confidential information to be inadvertently recorded. The vulnerability requires local access with limited privileges and user interaction to trigger, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R). The impact is primarily on confidentiality, with no direct effect on integrity or availability. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the exposure of secrets in logs can facilitate further attacks if an adversary gains access to these logs. The vulnerability affects automation workflows that rely on ansible-core for configuration management, potentially compromising secrets used in deployment or orchestration processes. The issue was publicly disclosed on February 6, 2024, and is tracked under CVE-2024-0690 with a medium severity rating and a CVSS score of 5.0.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-0690 is the unintended disclosure of sensitive information such as decrypted secrets within ansible-core logs. This can lead to exposure of credentials, API keys, or other confidential data used in automation tasks, increasing the risk of lateral movement, privilege escalation, or data breaches. Organizations in sectors with stringent data protection requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) face heightened compliance risks under GDPR if such data leakage occurs. The vulnerability could undermine trust in automation pipelines and complicate incident response efforts. Since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the threat is more pronounced in environments where multiple users have access to automation systems or where insider threats exist. The lack of impact on integrity and availability means operational disruption is unlikely, but confidentiality breaches can have long-term consequences. European entities relying heavily on ansible-core for infrastructure management should consider this vulnerability a significant risk to their secret management and operational security.
Mitigation Recommendations
To mitigate CVE-2024-0690, organizations should: 1) Monitor for and apply updates or patches from ansible-core maintainers as soon as they become available, as no patch links are currently provided. 2) Review and audit existing playbooks and automation scripts to identify tasks that use loops or handle sensitive data, ensuring that ANSIBLE_NO_LOG is correctly applied and effective. 3) Restrict access to ansible logs and automation environments to trusted personnel only, implementing strict access controls and monitoring. 4) Employ secret management solutions external to ansible playbooks to minimize exposure of decrypted secrets within automation workflows. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of logging sensitive information and enforce policies to avoid logging secrets unnecessarily. 6) Implement logging sanitization or log aggregation tools that can filter or redact sensitive data before storage or analysis. 7) Conduct regular security assessments of automation infrastructure to detect potential information leakage. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific failure mode of ANSIBLE_NO_LOG and the operational context of ansible-core usage.
Affected Countries
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- redhat
- Date Reserved
- 2024-01-18T16:03:22.626Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 68e6688d5e259e903d8f0fd3
Added to database: 10/8/2025, 1:35:09 PM
Last enriched: 10/8/2025, 1:43:41 PM
Last updated: 10/16/2025, 4:46:13 AM
Views: 21
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