Versions of MCollective prior to 2.10.4 deserialized YAML from agents without calling safe_load, allowing the potential for arbitrary code execution on the server. The fix for this is to call YAML.safe_load on input. This has been tested in all Puppet-supplied MCollective plugins, but there is a chance that third-party plugins could rely on this insecure behavior.
This vulnerability carries a CRITICAL severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.0, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and limited availability for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from puppet organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
First disclosed in 2017, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.
2017-06-30T20:29:00.170
2025-04-20T01:37:25.860
Deferred
CVSSv3.0: 9.0 (CRITICAL)
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
10.0
6.4
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | puppet | mcollective | ≤ 2.10.3 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For puppet's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.