CVE-2012-3542: Open Redirect in OpenStack Keystone

Successful exploitation of CVE-2012-3542 allows an attacker to add a new user to an existing tenant, and crucially, assign that user administrative privileges. This bypasses standard access controls and allows the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the newly created user within the targeted tenant. The blast radius extends to the entire tenant, potentially compromising sensitive data and resources. While initially misidentified, this vulnerability represents a significant privilege escalation risk within OpenStack environments, enabling unauthorized access and control.

1. Published2012-09-05
2. Modified2025-10-09
3. EPSS updated2026-04-02

The primary mitigation for CVE-2012-3542 is upgrading OpenStack Keystone to version 2012.1 or later. If an immediate upgrade is not feasible, consider implementing stricter access controls and tenant isolation policies to limit the potential impact of a successful attack. Review existing user assignments and tenant configurations to identify any anomalies. While a WAF or proxy cannot directly prevent this vulnerability, it can be configured to inspect and block requests containing suspicious redirect URLs. There are no specific Sigma or YARA rules available for this vulnerability.