VYPR
High severityNVD Advisory· Published Jul 31, 2018· Updated Aug 6, 2024

CVE-2016-8614

CVE-2016-8614

Description

A flaw was found in Ansible before version 2.2.0. The apt_key module does not properly verify key fingerprints, allowing remote adversary to create an OpenPGP key which matches the short key ID and inject this key instead of the correct key.

Affected packages

Versions sourced from the GitHub Security Advisory.

PackageAffected versionsPatched versions
ansiblePyPI
< 2.2.0.02.2.0.0

Affected products

1

Patches

2
1182d1f0b76d

Order of return values was reversed

https://github.com/ansible/ansible-modules-coreToshio KuratomiOct 22, 2016via ghsa
1 file changed · +1 1
  • packaging/os/apt_key.py+1 1 modified
    @@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ def main():
         short_format = False
         if key_id:
             try:
    -            key_id, fingerprint, short_key_id = parse_key_id(key_id)
    +            short_key_id, fingerprint, key_id = parse_key_id(key_id)
             except ValueError:
                 module.fail_json(msg='Invalid key_id', id=key_id)
     
    
66d47c8149d8

Only change to short IDs for delete (#5353)

https://github.com/ansible/ansible-modules-coreToshio KuratomiOct 22, 2016via ghsa
1 file changed · +120 67
  • packaging/os/apt_key.py+120 67 modified
    @@ -37,16 +37,17 @@
             default: none
             description:
                 - identifier of key. Including this allows check mode to correctly report the changed state.
    +            - "If specifying a subkey's id be aware that apt-key does not understand how to remove keys via a subkey id.  Specify the primary key's id instead."
         data:
             required: false
             default: none
             description:
    -            - keyfile contents
    +            - keyfile contents to add to the keyring
         file:
             required: false
             default: none
             description:
    -            - keyfile path
    +            - path to a keyfile to add to the keyring
         keyring:
             required: false
             default: none
    @@ -106,29 +107,69 @@
     
     # FIXME: standardize into module_common
     from traceback import format_exc
    -from re import compile as re_compile
    -# FIXME: standardize into module_common
    -from distutils.spawn import find_executable
    -from os import environ
    -from sys import exc_info
    -import traceback
     
    -match_key = re_compile("^gpg:.*key ([0-9a-fA-F]+):.*$")
    +from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
    +from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native
    +from ansible.module_utils.urls import fetch_url
    +
    +
    +apt_key_bin = None
    +
    +
    +def find_needed_binaries(module):
    +    global apt_key_bin
    +
    +    apt_key_bin = module.get_bin_path('apt-key', required=True)
    +
    +    ### FIXME: Is there a reason that gpg and grep are checked?  Is it just
    +    # cruft or does the apt .deb package not require them (and if they're not
    +    # installed, /usr/bin/apt-key fails?)
    +    module.get_bin_path('gpg', required=True)
    +    module.get_bin_path('grep', required=True)
    +
    +
    +def parse_key_id(key_id):
    +    """validate the key_id and break it into segments
    +
    +    :arg key_id: The key_id as supplied by the user.  A valid key_id will be
    +        8, 16, or more hexadecimal chars with an optional leading ``0x``.
    +    :returns: The portion of key_id suitable for apt-key del, the portion
    +        suitable for comparisons with --list-public-keys, and the portion that
    +        can be used with --recv-key.  If key_id is long enough, these will be
    +        the last 8 characters of key_id, the last 16 characters, and all of
    +        key_id.  If key_id is not long enough, some of the values will be the
    +        same.
    +
    +    * apt-key del <= 1.10 has a bug with key_id != 8 chars
    +    * apt-key adv --list-public-keys prints 16 chars
    +    * apt-key adv --recv-key can take more chars
    +
    +    """
    +    # Make sure the key_id is valid hexadecimal
    +    int(key_id, 16)
    +
    +    key_id = key_id.upper()
    +    if key_id.startswith('0X'):
    +        key_id = key_id[2:]
    +
    +    key_id_len = len(key_id)
    +    if (key_id_len != 8 and key_id_len != 16) and key_id_len <= 16:
    +        raise ValueError('key_id must be 8, 16, or 16+ hexadecimal characters in length')
     
    -REQUIRED_EXECUTABLES=['gpg', 'grep', 'apt-key']
    +    short_key_id = key_id[-8:]
     
    +    fingerprint = key_id
    +    if key_id_len > 16:
    +        fingerprint = key_id[-16:]
     
    -def check_missing_binaries(module):
    -    missing = [e for e in REQUIRED_EXECUTABLES if not find_executable(e)]
    -    if len(missing):
    -        module.fail_json(msg="binaries are missing", names=missing)
    +    return short_key_id, fingerprint, key_id
     
     
     def all_keys(module, keyring, short_format):
         if keyring:
    -        cmd = "apt-key --keyring %s adv --list-public-keys --keyid-format=long" % keyring
    +        cmd = "%s --keyring %s adv --list-public-keys --keyid-format=long" % (apt_key_bin, keyring)
         else:
    -        cmd = "apt-key adv --list-public-keys --keyid-format=long"
    +        cmd = "%s adv --list-public-keys --keyid-format=long" % apt_key_bin
         (rc, out, err) = module.run_command(cmd)
         results = []
         lines = to_native(out).split('\n')
    @@ -172,42 +213,47 @@ def download_key(module, url):
     
     def import_key(module, keyring, keyserver, key_id):
         if keyring:
    -        cmd = "apt-key --keyring %s adv --keyserver %s --recv %s" % (keyring, keyserver, key_id)
    +        cmd = "%s --keyring %s adv --keyserver %s --recv %s" % (apt_key_bin, keyring, keyserver, key_id)
         else:
    -        cmd = "apt-key adv --keyserver %s --recv %s" % (keyserver, key_id)
    +        cmd = "%s adv --keyserver %s --recv %s" % (apt_key_bin, keyserver, key_id)
         for retry in range(5):
    -        (rc, out, err) = module.run_command(cmd)
    +        lang_env = dict(LANG='C', LC_ALL='C', LC_MESSAGES='C')
    +        (rc, out, err) = module.run_command(cmd, environ_update=lang_env)
             if rc == 0:
                 break
         else:
             # Out of retries
    -        module.fail_json(cmd=cmd, msg="error fetching key from keyserver: %s" % keyserver,
    -                         rc=rc, stdout=out, stderr=err)
    +        if rc == 2 and 'not found on keyserver' in out:
    +            msg = 'Key %s not found on keyserver %s' % (key_id, keyserver)
    +            module.fail_json(cmd=cmd, msg=msg)
    +        else:
    +            msg = "Error fetching key %s from keyserver: %s" % (key_id, keyserver)
    +            module.fail_json(cmd=cmd, msg=msg, rc=rc, stdout=out, stderr=err)
         return True
     
     
     def add_key(module, keyfile, keyring, data=None):
         if data is not None:
             if keyring:
    -            cmd = "apt-key --keyring %s add -" % keyring
    +            cmd = "%s --keyring %s add -" % (apt_key_bin, keyring)
             else:
    -            cmd = "apt-key add -"
    +            cmd = "%s add -" % apt_key_bin
             (rc, out, err) = module.run_command(cmd, data=data, check_rc=True, binary_data=True)
         else:
             if keyring:
    -            cmd = "apt-key --keyring %s add %s" % (keyring, keyfile)
    +            cmd = "%s --keyring %s add %s" % (apt_key_bin, keyring, keyfile)
             else:
    -            cmd = "apt-key add %s" % (keyfile)
    +            cmd = "%s add %s" % (apt_key_bin, keyfile)
             (rc, out, err) = module.run_command(cmd, check_rc=True)
         return True
     
     
     def remove_key(module, key_id, keyring):
         # FIXME: use module.run_command, fail at point of error and don't discard useful stdin/stdout
         if keyring:
    -        cmd = 'apt-key --keyring %s del %s' % (keyring, key_id)
    +        cmd = '%s --keyring %s del %s' % (apt_key_bin, keyring, key_id)
         else:
    -        cmd = 'apt-key del %s' % key_id
    +        cmd = '%s del %s' % (apt_key_bin, key_id)
         (rc, out, err) = module.run_command(cmd, check_rc=True)
         return True
     
    @@ -218,14 +264,15 @@ def main():
                 id=dict(required=False, default=None),
                 url=dict(required=False),
                 data=dict(required=False),
    -            file=dict(required=False),
    +            file=dict(required=False, type='path'),
                 key=dict(required=False),
    -            keyring=dict(required=False),
    +            keyring=dict(required=False, type='path'),
                 validate_certs=dict(default='yes', type='bool'),
                 keyserver=dict(required=False),
                 state=dict(required=False, choices=['present', 'absent'], default='present')
             ),
    -        supports_check_mode=True
    +        supports_check_mode=True,
    +        mutually_exclusive=(('filename', 'keyserver', 'data', 'url'),),
         )
     
         key_id          = module.params['id']
    @@ -237,64 +284,70 @@ def main():
         keyserver       = module.params['keyserver']
         changed         = False
     
    -    # we use the "short" id: key_id[-8:], short_format=True
    -    # it's a workaround for https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1481871
    -
    +    fingerprint = short_key_id = key_id
    +    short_format = False
         if key_id:
             try:
    -            _ = int(key_id, 16)
    -            if key_id.startswith('0x'):
    -                key_id = key_id[2:]
    -            key_id = key_id.upper()[-8:]
    +            key_id, fingerprint, short_key_id = parse_key_id(key_id)
             except ValueError:
    -            module.fail_json(msg="Invalid key_id", id=key_id)
    +            module.fail_json(msg='Invalid key_id', id=key_id)
     
    -    # FIXME: I think we have a common facility for this, if not, want
    -    check_missing_binaries(module)
    +        if len(fingerprint) == 8:
    +            short_format = True
    +
    +    find_needed_binaries(module)
     
    -    short_format = True
         keys = all_keys(module, keyring, short_format)
         return_values = {}
     
         if state == 'present':
    -        if key_id and key_id in keys:
    +        if fingerprint and fingerprint in keys:
                 module.exit_json(changed=False)
    +        elif fingerprint and fingerprint not in keys and module.check_mode:
    +            ### TODO: Someday we could go further -- write keys out to
    +            # a temporary file and then extract the key id from there via gpg
    +            # to decide if the key is installed or not.
    +            module.exit_json(changed=True)
             else:
                 if not filename and not data and not keyserver:
                     data = download_key(module, url)
    -            if key_id and key_id in keys:
    -                module.exit_json(changed=False)
    +
    +            if filename:
    +                add_key(module, filename, keyring)
    +            elif keyserver:
    +                import_key(module, keyring, keyserver, key_id)
                 else:
    -                if module.check_mode:
    -                    module.exit_json(changed=True)
    -                if filename:
    -                    add_key(module, filename, keyring)
    -                elif keyserver:
    -                    import_key(module, keyring, keyserver, key_id)
    -                else:
    -                    add_key(module, "-", keyring, data)
    -                changed=False
    -                keys2 = all_keys(module, keyring, short_format)
    -                if len(keys) != len(keys2):
    -                    changed=True
    -                if key_id and not key_id in keys2:
    -                    module.fail_json(msg="key does not seem to have been added", id=key_id)
    -                module.exit_json(changed=changed)
    +                add_key(module, "-", keyring, data)
    +
    +            changed = False
    +            keys2 = all_keys(module, keyring, short_format)
    +            if len(keys) != len(keys2):
    +                changed=True
    +
    +            if fingerprint and fingerprint not in keys2:
    +                module.fail_json(msg="key does not seem to have been added", id=key_id)
    +            module.exit_json(changed=changed)
    +
         elif state == 'absent':
             if not key_id:
                 module.fail_json(msg="key is required")
    -        if key_id in keys:
    +        if fingerprint in keys:
                 if module.check_mode:
                     module.exit_json(changed=True)
    -            if remove_key(module, key_id, keyring):
    -                changed=True
    +
    +            # we use the "short" id: key_id[-8:], short_format=True
    +            # it's a workaround for https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1481871
    +            if remove_key(module, short_key_id, keyring):
    +                keys = all_keys(module, keyring, short_format)
    +                if fingerprint in keys:
    +                    module.fail_json(msg="apt-key del did not return an error but the key was not removed (check that the id is correct and *not* a subkey)", id=key_id)
    +                changed = True
                 else:
    -                # FIXME: module.fail_json  or exit-json immediately at point of failure
    +                # FIXME: module.fail_json or exit-json immediately at point of failure
                     module.fail_json(msg="error removing key_id", **return_values)
     
         module.exit_json(changed=changed, **return_values)
     
    -# import module snippets
    -from ansible.module_utils.basic import *
    -from ansible.module_utils.urls import *
    -main()
    +
    +if __name__ == '__main__':
    +    main()
    

Vulnerability mechanics

Generated by null/stub on May 9, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.

References

11

News mentions

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