CVE-2012-5571: A flaw was found in OpenStack Keystone. This vulnerability allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended authorization restrictions. This occur...

Description

A flaw was found in OpenStack Keystone. This vulnerability allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended authorization restrictions. This occurs because OpenStack Keystone does not properly handle EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) tokens when a user's role has been removed from a tenant. An attacker can leverage a token associated with a removed user role to gain unauthorized access.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.4/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

EPSS Probability

2.04%

78.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Openstack	Essex	2012.1
Openstack	Folsom	2012.2

References

Timeline

Published: Dec 18, 2012
Last Modified: Jun 16, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2012-5571?

A flaw was found in OpenStack Keystone. This vulnerability allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended authorization restrictions. This occurs because OpenStack Keystone does not properly handle EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) tokens when a user's role has been removed from a tenant. An attacker can leverage a token associated with a removed user role to gain unauthorized access.

How severe is CVE-2012-5571?

CVE-2012-5571 has a CVSS score of 5.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.04% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2012-5571?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.