Weak Default Password on System VMs.
- Dominant language
- Java
- Stars
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Description
### The required feature described as a wish
**Description:** By default, CloudStack uses a hard-coded password for all System VMs.
**Affected Components:** System VMs (SSVM, CPVM, and VR)
**Impact:** An attacker who knows the default credentials, which are publicly documented, and has console access to any System VM could log in as `root`.
- On a VR: the attacker could act as a man-in-the-middle (MITM).
- On a SSVM: the attacker could tamper with templates and ISOs, and delete snapshots.
- On a CPVM: the attacker could potentially install a keylogger on noVNC sessions.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Open the Console of any System VM.
- Enter the default username `root` and password `password`.
**Recommended Remediation:** Enable randomization of System VM passwords by default, while allowing administrators to disable this behavior if needed.
**Note:** This feature already exists. Additionally, documentation improvements have been proposed to clarify how to enable and use it.
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by locating the existing System VM password-randomization feature and the documentation proposed in this issue; no specific files or tests are named. Check how the behavior applies to SSVM, CPVM, and VR, including its configuration default and opt-out. Done means passwords are randomized by default and administrators can still disable the behavior, with the usage documented clearly.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- java
- Domain
- cloud, infrastructure, security
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100