CVE-2016-4451 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) Organization and (2) Locations APIs in Foreman before 1.11.3 and 1.12.x before 1.12.0-RC1 allow remote authenticated users with unlimited filters to bypass organization and location restrictions and read or modify data for an arbitrary organization by leveraging knowledge of the id of that organization.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4451 represents a critical access control flaw within the Foreman configuration management platform that affects versions prior to 1.11.3 and 1.12.x before 1.12.0-RC1. This issue stems from improper validation of organization and location restrictions within the API endpoints, specifically targeting the Organization and Locations APIs that are fundamental components of Foreman's multi-tenant architecture. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows authenticated users with unlimited filters to circumvent the intended security boundaries that should prevent unauthorized access to organizational data.
The technical flaw manifests as a privilege escalation vulnerability where malicious actors can exploit their authenticated status to access data beyond their designated organizational boundaries. When users possess unlimited filters, they can leverage knowledge of specific organization identifiers to bypass the standard access control mechanisms that normally restrict users to their assigned organizations and locations. This occurs because the API endpoints fail to properly validate whether the requesting user has legitimate authorization to access the target organization's data based on their assigned organizational context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it fundamentally undermines the security model of Foreman's multi-tenant environment. An attacker with minimal privileges but access to the organization ID can potentially read sensitive configuration data, modify system settings, or access confidential information belonging to other organizations within the same Foreman instance. This creates a scenario where the principle of least privilege is violated, allowing unauthorized data access that could lead to data breaches, configuration tampering, or the exposure of sensitive infrastructure information. The vulnerability essentially transforms the multi-tenant isolation into a single point of unauthorized access, making the entire system vulnerable to cross-organizational attacks.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation. The flaw demonstrates how insufficient input validation and access control enforcement can create pathways for attackers to escalate their privileges and access unauthorized resources. Organizations using Foreman should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions, implementing additional access controls, and monitoring API access logs for suspicious activities. The recommended remediation involves applying the official patches released by the Foreman development team, which address the improper validation of organization and location identifiers within the API endpoints. Additionally, system administrators should review and tighten the permissions associated with unlimited filters, ensuring that such broad access privileges are carefully controlled and monitored to prevent unauthorized exploitation of this vulnerability.