CVE-2023-41786 in Pandora FMS
Summary
by MITRE • 11/23/2023
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Pandora FMS on all allows File Discovery. This vulnerability allows users with low privileges to download database backups. This issue affects Pandora FMS: from 700 through 772.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-41786 represents a critical exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors within the Pandora FMS monitoring platform. This weakness specifically affects versions ranging from 700 through 772, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this network monitoring solution. The flaw enables low-privilege users to perform file discovery operations that ultimately allow them to download database backups, fundamentally compromising the confidentiality of sensitive operational data.
This vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and insufficient input validation mechanisms within the Pandora FMS application. The technical flaw manifests as a path traversal or directory listing issue that permits authenticated users with minimal privileges to bypass normal security boundaries. The system fails to properly validate user permissions when processing requests for database backup files, allowing unauthorized access to critical system data that should only be accessible to administrators or authorized personnel. This weakness directly maps to CWE-200, which defines information exposure vulnerabilities where sensitive data becomes accessible to unauthorized actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as database backups contain comprehensive information about network infrastructure, user credentials, system configurations, and operational metrics. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive information including but not limited to user accounts, system configurations, network topology data, and potentially even encrypted passwords or authentication tokens stored within the database. The ability to download complete database backups provides an attacker with a comprehensive snapshot of the monitored environment, enabling sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting, network mapping, and targeted social engineering campaigns. This vulnerability also creates opportunities for lateral movement within the network as attackers can use the acquired information to identify additional targets and vulnerabilities.
Organizations utilizing Pandora FMS within the affected version range must implement immediate mitigations to address this exposure. The primary recommendation involves applying the vendor-provided security patches or updates that correct the access control mechanisms and implement proper input validation for backup file requests. Network segmentation should be enhanced to limit direct access to Pandora FMS servers from untrusted networks, while implementing additional monitoring for unusual file access patterns. The principle of least privilege should be strictly enforced, ensuring that only authorized administrators have access to backup functionality. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of existing database backup files to identify any potential compromise and implement automated monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 which focuses on data from backup systems, and represents a significant risk for organizations following the MITRE ATT&CK framework's approach to identifying and mitigating persistent threats.