CVE-2015-3235 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
Foreman before 1.9.0 allows remote authenticated users with the edit_users permission to edit administrator users and change their passwords via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3235 affects Foreman versions prior to 1.9.0 and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the application's user management system. This vulnerability specifically targets the authorization mechanisms that govern user permissions and access controls, creating a scenario where authenticated users with limited edit_users privileges can manipulate administrator accounts. The flaw exists in the application's permission validation logic, which fails to properly enforce role-based access controls when users attempt to modify accounts with elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient authorization checks as classified by CWE-285, where the system does not adequately verify that users have proper authorization to perform specific actions on targeted resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and permission verification within the user management interface of Foreman. When authenticated users attempt to edit user accounts through the web interface or API endpoints, the application fails to properly validate whether the target user account possesses administrative privileges. This allows malicious actors with edit_users permissions to bypass normal access controls and modify administrator accounts, potentially changing their passwords and gaining unauthorized elevated access to the system. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the CVE description suggest that the vulnerability can be exploited through multiple attack paths including direct API calls, web interface manipulation, or potentially through automated tools that can leverage the permission gap. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers legitimate credentials, as it allows privilege escalation through manipulation of existing user accounts rather than brute force or credential theft.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3235 is severe and far-reaching within environments that rely on Foreman for system management and orchestration. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Foreman face the risk of unauthorized privilege escalation where attackers can potentially gain complete administrative control over the system. This compromise can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data, system modifications, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure managed by Foreman. The vulnerability essentially undermines the entire security model of the application by allowing users to escalate their privileges through legitimate application functionality, creating a persistent backdoor that can be exploited repeatedly. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise to include potential data breaches, service disruption, and regulatory compliance violations, particularly in environments where Foreman is used for managing critical infrastructure components. Organizations may experience significant operational disruption if attackers exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to system configurations, deployment scripts, or other sensitive operational data that Foreman typically manages.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3235 require immediate action to upgrade Foreman installations to version 1.9.0 or later, where the authorization flaw has been addressed through proper permission validation and role-based access control enforcement. System administrators should also implement additional security controls including regular privilege reviews, monitoring of user account modifications, and implementation of least privilege principles to minimize the impact if similar vulnerabilities are discovered. The fix typically involves strengthening the authorization checks within the application's user management module to ensure that users cannot modify accounts with higher privileges than their own. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation, access control lists, and comprehensive logging of user activities to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authorization flaws in other applications and systems within the organization's infrastructure, as this vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient access control validation can create significant security risks in enterprise management platforms.