CVE-2014-0091 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
Foreman has improper input validation which could lead to partial Denial of Service
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2024
The CVE-2014-0091 vulnerability affects Foreman, a systems management tool that provides web-based interfaces for managing infrastructure. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the application's processing pipeline, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's resource handling capabilities. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly validate user-supplied input before processing, allowing attackers to craft malformed requests that can disrupt normal service operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's request handling logic where input parameters are not adequately sanitized or validated. When Foreman processes incoming requests containing malformed data, the system's failure to implement proper validation checks can result in resource exhaustion or unexpected behavior within the application's core processing modules. This improper validation creates an environment where attackers can manipulate input fields to trigger partial denial of service conditions without requiring elevated privileges or authentication credentials. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through web interfaces or API endpoints that accept user input.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability and stability of critical infrastructure management systems. Organizations relying on Foreman for system administration may experience partial outages or degraded performance when attackers exploit this weakness, particularly in environments where the tool manages large numbers of hosts or performs frequent automated operations. The partial denial of service aspect means that while complete system shutdown is not guaranteed, affected components may become unresponsive or significantly slowed, impacting administrative tasks and system monitoring capabilities. This vulnerability can be particularly damaging in production environments where continuous system availability is critical for business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0091 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation mechanisms throughout the application's processing pipeline. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized and validated before being processed by Foreman's internal systems. This includes implementing strict parameter validation, length limits, and character set restrictions on all input fields. Additionally, regular updates and patches from the Foreman development team should be applied immediately upon availability, as this vulnerability represents a known weakness that has been addressed in subsequent releases. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and rate limiting can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network disruption activities. Organizations should also implement monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect anomalous request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability can be automated and used in large-scale attacks against multiple systems.