CVE-2010-4279 in Pandora FMS
Summary
by MITRE
The default configuration of Pandora FMS 3.1 and earlier specifies an empty string for the loginhash_pwd field, which allows remote attackers to bypass authentication by sending a request to index.php with "admin" in the loginhash_user parameter, in conjunction with the md5 hash of "admin" in the loginhash_data parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4279 affects Pandora FMS versions 3.1 and earlier, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the security posture of this widely used network monitoring solution. This weakness stems from the default configuration where the loginhash_pwd field is set to an empty string, creating a predictable authentication mechanism that adversaries can exploit without requiring valid credentials. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication process implemented in the web interface, making it particularly dangerous as it allows unauthorized access to administrative functions through a straightforward exploitation technique.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a predictable hash-based authentication system where attackers can construct malicious requests to the index.php endpoint. By sending a request with "admin" as the loginhash_user parameter and the md5 hash of "admin" as the loginhash_data parameter, threat actors can successfully authenticate as the administrator user. This flaw represents a classic case of weak credential handling and predictable authentication tokens, where the system fails to properly validate the authenticity of authentication requests. The empty string configuration for loginhash_pwd essentially creates a backdoor authentication mechanism that bypasses normal security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides remote attackers with full administrative access to Pandora FMS installations without requiring any legitimate credentials or prior access to the system. This authentication bypass allows attackers to perform critical administrative functions including but not limited to modifying monitoring configurations, accessing sensitive network data, adding or removing users, and potentially escalating privileges within the monitored network environment. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Pandora FMS for network monitoring and security operations, potentially exposing their entire monitoring infrastructure to unauthorized control and data exfiltration.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of Pandora FMS, implementing proper authentication configuration, and reviewing access controls for the monitoring system. The CWE-287 classification applies here as this represents an improper authentication vulnerability where the system accepts predictable authentication tokens. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as it enables attackers to gain persistent access through legitimate administrative accounts. Additional security measures should include network segmentation, monitoring for suspicious authentication attempts, and implementing multi-factor authentication where possible to reduce the impact of such credential-based vulnerabilities.