CVE-2015-5233 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
Foreman before 1.8.4 and 1.9.x before 1.9.1 do not properly apply view_hosts permissions, which allows (1) remote authenticated users with the view_reports permission to read reports from arbitrary hosts or (2) remote authenticated users with the destroy_reports permission to delete reports from arbitrary hosts via direct access to the (a) individual report show/delete pages or (b) APIs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5233 affects Foreman versions prior to 1.8.4 and 1.9.x versions before 1.9.1, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the application's permission model. This issue stems from improper enforcement of view_hosts permissions within the Foreman management interface, creating a privilege escalation vector that allows authenticated users to bypass intended security boundaries. The flaw specifically impacts the report functionality where users with limited permissions can exploit the system's authorization mechanisms to access or manipulate data they should not be authorized to handle.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's permission validation logic where the view_hosts permission is not properly enforced when accessing report data. Attackers with the view_reports permission can leverage this flaw to retrieve reports from any host within the system, while those possessing the destroy_reports permission can delete reports from arbitrary hosts. This occurs through direct access to both individual report show/delete pages and API endpoints, demonstrating that the authorization checks are bypassed at multiple interface levels. The vulnerability essentially allows for unauthorized data disclosure and modification operations across the entire host inventory.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Foreman for system management and monitoring. Remote authenticated attackers can potentially access sensitive system information from hosts they should not have access to, leading to data leakage and potential system compromise. The ability to delete reports from arbitrary hosts also introduces denial of service and data integrity risks, as malicious actors could remove critical monitoring information or disrupt operational visibility. This flaw particularly affects environments where Foreman is used for large-scale infrastructure management, as the impact scales with the number of managed hosts.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-285: "Improper Authorization" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078: "Valid Accounts" as it exploits legitimate user permissions to gain unauthorized access to system resources. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Foreman versions 1.8.4 or 1.9.1, which contain the necessary permission enforcement fixes. Additionally, administrators should review and audit existing user permissions to ensure least privilege principles are applied, particularly for roles that might possess view_reports or destroy_reports permissions without proper host-level authorization. Network segmentation and monitoring of API access patterns can help detect exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify proper implementation of access controls across all Foreman functionalities.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authorization implementation in web applications, where insufficient permission validation can lead to widespread data exposure and manipulation capabilities. The flaw underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of access control mechanisms and proper validation of user privileges at all application interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as API rate limiting and detailed audit logging to detect and respond to unauthorized access attempts that may exploit similar permission-related vulnerabilities.