CVE-2018-11222 in Pandora FMS
Summary
by MITRE
Local File Inclusion (LFI) in Artica Pandora FMS through version 7.23 allows an attacker to call any php file via the /pandora_console/ajax.php ajax endpoint.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-11222 represents a critical local file inclusion flaw in the Artica Pandora FMS monitoring platform up to version 7.23. This vulnerability resides within the ajax.php endpoint which serves as a central interface for asynchronous operations within the console. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly restrict file access parameters, allowing attackers to manipulate the system into including arbitrary php files from the local filesystem. This represents a classic LFI vulnerability that can be exploited to execute malicious code or gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of parameters passed to the /pandora_console/ajax.php endpoint, which processes requests for various administrative and monitoring functions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to include php files that are accessible on the server filesystem, potentially enabling them to read configuration files, database credentials, or even execute arbitrary code on the target system. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's handling of file inclusion requests without proper authorization checks or path validation, creating an attack surface that could be leveraged for privilege escalation or data exfiltration.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Pandora FMS for network monitoring and system management. The local file inclusion vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to access sensitive monitoring data, administrative credentials, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers could manipulate monitoring data, disrupt services, or use the compromised system as a launchpad for further attacks within the network environment. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-98 weakness classification for Improper Control of Generation of Code and maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for Data from Information Repositories.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches for Pandora FMS version 7.23 and later, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures for all file inclusion operations, and restricting access to the ajax.php endpoint through network segmentation. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary administrative functions, implementing web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious parameter patterns, and conducting thorough security audits of all file inclusion mechanisms within the application. Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments should be maintained to prevent similar issues from arising in future versions of the platform.