CVE-2015-5152 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
Foreman after 1.1 and before 1.9.0-RC1 does not redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS when the require_ssl setting is set to true, which allows remote attackers to obtain user credentials via a man-in-the-middle attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5152 affects Foreman versions between 1.1 and 1.9.0-RC1, specifically targeting the application's handling of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the authentication and session management mechanisms of the Foreman infrastructure management platform. The issue arises from improper enforcement of SSL/TLS requirements when the require_ssl configuration parameter is enabled, creating a significant gap in the security posture of systems relying on this management tool.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper HTTP to HTTPS redirection when secure communication is mandated. When administrators configure the require_ssl setting to true, the system should automatically redirect all incoming HTTP requests to their HTTPS equivalents to ensure encrypted communication channels. However, in affected versions, this redirection mechanism fails to function correctly, leaving HTTP endpoints accessible and vulnerable to interception attacks. This misconfiguration creates a window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit the communication channel between clients and the Foreman server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and directly threatens the confidentiality and integrity of user authentication data. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to execute successful man-in-the-middle attacks, capturing sensitive information including user credentials, session tokens, and potentially system configuration details transmitted over unencrypted connections. The vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the platform, as users may unknowingly authenticate over insecure channels despite the system's configuration indicating otherwise. This creates a false sense of security while simultaneously exposing critical system access points to unauthorized individuals.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-319, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information via insecure communication channels, and represents a direct violation of security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 frameworks. From an ATT&CK perspective, this weakness maps to T1566.001 (Phishing via Social Media) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) as attackers can exploit the insecure HTTP endpoints to capture authentication credentials. The vulnerability also demonstrates characteristics of T1562.001 (Impair Defenses) since it effectively disables the intended security controls through improper implementation of the SSL requirement mechanism. Organizations implementing Foreman without proper mitigations face significant risk of credential compromise and unauthorized access to their infrastructure management systems.
The recommended remediation strategy involves upgrading to Foreman version 1.9.0-RC1 or later, where the HTTP to HTTPS redirection mechanism has been properly implemented and tested. Administrators should also conduct thorough security assessments of their existing configurations to ensure that all authentication endpoints are properly secured and that the require_ssl setting functions as intended. Additional mitigations include implementing network-level controls such as iptables rules to block HTTP traffic and ensuring that all client systems are configured to only communicate with the HTTPS endpoint of the Foreman server. Regular security audits and monitoring of authentication attempts should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.