Description

A flaw was found in insights-client. The setDefault() function logs the value of every environment variable it processes, including CCX_TOKEN, a bearer credential used in disconnected cluster deployments. When glog verbosity is set to level 2 or higher, the token is written in clear text to the pod log on every startup. An attacker with access to pod logs or centralized logging could obtain the credential, leading to unauthorized access to the CCX API.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "6.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-11T20:18:45.800Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-11T20:18:45.800Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A cleartext credential exposure vulnerability exists within insights-client, specifically affecting the setDefault() function during environment variable processing. The flaw manifests when the logging verbosity is configured to level 2 or higher, causing sensitive bearer credentials, notably the CCX_TOKEN used in disconnected cluster deployments, to be written in plaintext directly to pod logs upon every application startup. This security defect introduces significant risk to enterprise deployments by exposing high-privilege authentication artifacts to unauthorized entities. An attacker possessing read access to local pod logs or centralized log aggregation systems can passively harvest the exposed token without triggering active intrusion detection mechanisms. Successful exploitation directly leads to unauthorized access to the CCX API, potentially allowing malicious actors to compromise downstream services or intercept sensitive telemetry data. Remediation requires modifying the logging behavior of the setDefault() function to redact sensitive environment variables and restricting log access permissions across the container infrastructure.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides in the setDefault() function of the insights-client codebase, which is responsible for iterating over and processing runtime environment variables. During standard initialization, this function inappropriately logs the entirety of the processed environment variable values under elevated logging configurations. Specifically, when the Google logging (glog) verbosity is explicitly set to level 2 or greater, the internal logging mechanism records all inspected environment keys and values to standard output or log files. This behavior inadvertently captures the CCX_TOKEN, a sensitive bearer credential required for authenticating disconnected cluster deployments against management infrastructure.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, an attacker establishes read-level access to the affected pod's standard output logs or gains unauthorized entry to the centralized logging infrastructure where container logs are aggregated and stored. Second, the attacker waits for or triggers a container restart, which initiates the execution of insights-client and invokes the vulnerable setDefault() function at verbosity level 2 or higher. Third, the unmasked CCX_TOKEN is ingested into the logging stream in plaintext. Fourth, the attacker extracts the credential from the log repository. Finally, utilizing the harvested bearer token, the adversary mounts direct, unauthorized API requests against the CCX API, bypassing standard access controls and impersonating legitimate cluster components.\nThe vulnerable component is the environment variable handling routine implemented within insights-client. Exploitation does not require authentication or elevated privileges relative to the logging infrastructure; any entity capable of reading the pod logs or accessing the centralized logging sink can successfully acquire the credential. The network exposure is dictated by the accessibility of the log management plane and the reachability of the CCX API endpoint. Post-exploitation impact encompasses unauthorized interaction with the CCX API, potential data exfiltration, and unauthorized administrative actions within the scope of the compromised bearer credential."
}