CVE-2022-26309 in FMS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/01/2022
Pandora FMS v7.0NG.759 allows Cross-Site Request Forgery in Bulk operation (User operation) resulting in elevation of privilege to Administrator group.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-26309 affects Pandora FMS version 7.0NG.759 and represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the bulk operation functionality of the user management system. This vulnerability resides in the web application's handling of administrative operations that can be executed in bulk, specifically targeting user-related administrative tasks. The flaw allows authenticated attackers to manipulate the application's administrative functions through crafted malicious requests that appear legitimate to the web server.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the bulk user operation endpoints. When administrators perform bulk operations such as user creation, modification, or deletion, the application fails to adequately verify the authenticity of these requests. This occurs because the application relies on session-based authentication without implementing robust CSRF protection measures such as unique tokens that are tied to specific user sessions and requests. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the administrative interface where bulk operations are permitted, making it a significant vector for privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to represent a serious threat to system integrity and access control. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can elevate their privileges to administrator level within the Pandora FMS environment, gaining complete control over the monitoring platform. This includes access to all monitored systems, configuration data, alert settings, and the ability to modify or delete user accounts. The bulk operation context amplifies the potential damage since a single malicious request could affect multiple users or system components simultaneously. The vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor for attackers to bypass normal authentication and authorization mechanisms that should protect administrative functions from unauthorized access.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The flaw demonstrates a classic example of how insufficient anti-CSRF protection can lead to privilege escalation in administrative interfaces. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078.004 which covers valid accounts and T1548.001 which involves abuse of privileges, as attackers can leverage legitimate administrative functions to gain elevated access. The attack vector requires a victim to be authenticated as a regular user with sufficient privileges to access the bulk operation features, but once exploited, the attacker can assume full administrative control of the system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-26309 must focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the Pandora FMS application. The primary solution involves introducing unique, time-bound CSRF tokens for each user session that are validated before processing any bulk administrative operations. Additionally, implementing proper request origin validation and ensuring that all administrative endpoints require explicit user confirmation for bulk operations would significantly reduce the attack surface. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and monitoring for unusual bulk operation patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and patches from the Pandora FMS vendor should be applied immediately upon availability, as this vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that can be exploited without requiring special privileges beyond normal user access. The implementation of comprehensive logging and audit trails for all administrative activities would also aid in detecting unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and provide forensic evidence for security incident response.