CVE-2024-3622 identifies a vulnerability in the deployment of Quay container registry instances when installed using the mirror-registry method. The root cause is the use of a default secret key that is stored in plaintext within one of the configuration template files. Because this secret is not unique per deployment and is exposed in plaintext, attackers with network access can craft valid session cookies, effectively bypassing authentication mechanisms. This allows them to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to the Quay instance, potentially leading to data theft, manipulation of container images, or disruption of container deployment pipelines. The vulnerability requires only low privileges (PR:L) and no user interaction (UI:N), making exploitation feasible in many environments. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as attackers can fully compromise the affected system. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild yet, the widespread use of Quay in containerized environments makes this a critical issue. The vulnerability highlights the risks of default secrets and plaintext storage of sensitive credentials in configuration files, which is a common security anti-pattern. Remediation requires replacing the default secret with a unique, strong secret and ensuring secrets are stored securely, not in plaintext configuration files. Organizations should audit their Quay deployments for this issue and apply secure configuration management practices.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-3622 can be significant, especially those relying on Quay for container image management and deployment. Unauthorized access to Quay instances can lead to theft or tampering of container images, which may propagate compromised or malicious containers into production environments, affecting application integrity and availability. This can disrupt business operations, lead to data breaches, and damage organizational reputation. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure that depend on containerized applications are particularly vulnerable. The ability to craft session cookies without user interaction and with low privileges increases the risk of lateral movement within networks. Additionally, the uniform default secret across multiple deployments amplifies the attack surface, potentially enabling attackers to compromise multiple instances once the secret is known. The lack of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high CVSS score underscores the urgency. Compliance with European data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) may also be impacted if unauthorized access leads to personal data exposure.

To mitigate CVE-2024-3622, European organizations should immediately audit all Quay instances deployed via mirror-registry for the presence of the default plaintext secret. Replace the default secret with a unique, cryptographically strong secret for each deployment. Avoid using mirror-registry default configurations without customization. Implement secure secret management practices by storing secrets in encrypted vaults or environment variables rather than plaintext configuration files. Regularly rotate secrets and enforce strict access controls on configuration files. Monitor Quay logs for suspicious session activity indicative of session cookie forgery. Apply network segmentation to limit access to Quay instances and employ multi-factor authentication where possible to reduce risk from compromised session cookies. Stay updated with vendor advisories for patches or updated deployment methods that address this vulnerability. Conduct security training for DevOps teams to recognize and avoid insecure default configurations. Finally, integrate automated configuration scanning tools into CI/CD pipelines to detect plaintext secrets before deployment.