CVE-2023-3173 in froxlor
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2023
Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts in GitHub repository froxlor/froxlor prior to 2.0.20.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3173 represents a critical weakness in the authentication mechanism of the froxlor web hosting control panel software. This issue affects versions prior to 2.0.20 and specifically concerns the improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts, creating a significant security risk for systems utilizing this software. The flaw allows unauthorized users to potentially perform brute force attacks against the system's authentication interface without adequate rate limiting or account lockout mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper controls to monitor and restrict repeated authentication attempts. When users attempt to log in with incorrect credentials, the system should implement mechanisms to detect and prevent excessive attempts that could indicate an automated attack. Without these protections, attackers can systematically try numerous username and password combinations until they gain access to valid accounts. This weakness directly relates to CWE-307, which addresses improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for Brute Force Attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other attack vectors. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to hosting environments, potentially affecting multiple customer accounts and services managed by the compromised froxlor instance. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in shared hosting environments where a single compromised account could provide attackers with access to other users' data and resources. Organizations running froxlor versions before 2.0.20 face increased risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within their infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-3173 should prioritize immediate upgrade to froxlor version 2.0.20 or later, which includes the necessary authentication restrictions. System administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as IP address blocking, enhanced logging of authentication attempts, and network-level restrictions using firewalls or intrusion detection systems. The implementation of multi-factor authentication can provide additional defense layers against unauthorized access attempts. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their froxlor installations to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred before the patch was applied. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual authentication patterns and rapid credential testing attempts that could indicate ongoing attacks against the system.