CVE-2023-2807 in Pandora FMS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/13/2023
Authentication Bypass by Spoofing vulnerability in the password reset process of Pandora FMS allows an unauthenticated attacker to initiate a password reset process for any user account without proper authentication. This issue affects PandoraFMS v771 and prior versions on all platforms.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2025
The authentication bypass vulnerability in Pandora FMS represents a critical weakness in the password reset mechanism that fundamentally undermines the security posture of the monitoring platform. This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit the password recovery process to initiate reset requests for any user account within the system, effectively bypassing the standard authentication requirements that should normally be enforced before such operations can be performed. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions 771 and earlier, affecting all platform implementations and creating a universal risk across deployments. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user identity during the password reset initiation phase, where the system fails to properly authenticate the requester before allowing password reset operations to proceed. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles that require proper authentication before sensitive operations can be executed, creating an attack surface that enables unauthorized access to user accounts and potential system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the flawed logic of the password reset endpoint which accepts requests without verifying the legitimacy of the requester. When an attacker sends a password reset request, the system should validate that the requestor has proper authorization or identity verification before proceeding with the reset process. However, the current implementation allows any external party to submit these requests for arbitrary user accounts, effectively enabling account takeover through social engineering or automated exploitation. This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-287 which describes improper authentication scenarios, specifically focusing on authentication bypass through spoofing techniques where the system fails to properly validate identity claims. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be executed without any prior system access or credentials, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation tools and malicious actors seeking to compromise user accounts at scale.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account compromise to potentially enable broader system infiltration and data exfiltration. Once an attacker can initiate password resets for user accounts, they can leverage this capability to gain unauthorized access to monitoring data, system configurations, and administrative functions that may be associated with those accounts. This creates a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive operational information, and potentially disrupt the monitoring services that Pandora FMS provides. The vulnerability also presents risks for privilege escalation attacks where attackers might target administrative accounts to gain full system control. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through social engineering and phishing, as well as T1078 which addresses valid accounts usage for persistence and privilege escalation. The impact is particularly severe in environments where Pandora FMS serves as a critical monitoring solution for IT infrastructure, as compromise of this system can lead to widespread operational disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of authentication controls that validate user identity before processing password reset requests. Organizations should implement proper session management, enforce rate limiting on password reset requests, and ensure that the system validates the legitimacy of reset requests through multiple factors including email verification, security questions, or other authentication mechanisms. The most effective immediate fix involves implementing proper input validation and authentication checks at the password reset endpoint to ensure that only authorized users can initiate reset operations. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unusual password reset patterns and establish automated alerting for suspicious activities. Additionally, the affected versions should be upgraded to patched releases as soon as possible, with security teams conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred. Organizations should also review their overall authentication architecture to ensure that similar weaknesses do not exist in other system components, particularly focusing on the principle of least privilege and proper access control enforcement throughout the application stack.