CVE-2016-4995 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
Foreman before 1.11.4 and 1.12.x before 1.12.1 does not properly restrict access to preview provisioning templates, which allows remote authenticated users with permission to view some hosts to obtain sensitive host configuration information via a URL with a hostname.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4995 affects Foreman versions prior to 1.11.4 and 1.12.x versions before 1.12.1, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security of provisioning template previews. This issue resides within the web application's authorization mechanisms, specifically in how it handles preview requests for provisioning templates. The vulnerability allows authenticated users with limited permissions to view certain hosts to exploit a path traversal or access restriction bypass that grants them access to sensitive host configuration information through direct manipulation of URL parameters containing hostnames.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within Foreman's provisioning template preview functionality. When users request to preview a provisioning template, the application should verify that the requesting user has appropriate authorization to access the specific host associated with the template. However, the flawed implementation fails to properly validate the hostname parameter in the URL, allowing users to manipulate the preview request to access templates and configuration data for hosts they should not be authorized to view. This represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability that can be categorized under CWE-285, which deals with insufficient authorization in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to gather detailed host configuration data that could be leveraged for further exploitation. The sensitive information obtained through this vulnerability may include host-specific parameters, network configurations, provisioning scripts, and other system details that could aid in crafting more sophisticated attacks against the affected infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Foreman serves as a central provisioning and configuration management tool, as it undermines the trust model that should exist between different user roles and their access levels. The ability to preview templates provides attackers with insights into system architecture, configuration practices, and potential security weaknesses that could be exploited in subsequent stages of an attack.
Organizations using Foreman should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions to address this vulnerability, as it represents a significant risk to system security. The recommended mitigation involves upgrading to Foreman version 1.11.4 or 1.12.1, which contain the necessary fixes for proper access control enforcement. Additionally, administrators should review user permissions and access controls within their Foreman deployments to ensure that users have only the minimum necessary privileges to perform their required functions. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of template preview requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001, which involves account access discovery, and demonstrates how insufficient access controls can lead to unauthorized information gathering and potential privilege escalation opportunities within managed infrastructure environments.