Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Foreman installations using the Proxmox compute resource plugin could expose a stored Proxmox password through the API to an authenticated local user with view_hosts permission. That can turn a limited Foreman account into access to sensitive infrastructure credentials.
Executive priority
Treat this as a credential exposure issue with targeted scope. Prioritize affected Foreman deployments managing Proxmox infrastructure, especially where many users have host-viewing permissions or where exposed credentials have broad Proxmox privileges.
Technical view
CVE-2021-20259 is a CWE-200 information exposure in Foreman's foreman_fog_proxmox integration. Versions before foreman_fog_proxmox 0.13.1 are affected. The API exposed the Proxmox compute resource password to an authenticated local attacker with view_hosts permission.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Foreman deployments using the Proxmox compute resource integration before foreman_fog_proxmox 0.13.1, where authenticated users have view_hosts permission. Systems not using this plugin are not identified as affected in the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not state active exploitation, public exploit availability, or KEV listing. The attack requires authentication and view_hosts permission, but the exposed credential could affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability if reused to manage Proxmox infrastructure.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse: no CVSS vector, exploit status, or detailed patch notes are included in the provided bundle. The core validated facts are affected version range, API password exposure, required permission, CWE-200, and non-KEV status.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade foreman_fog_proxmox to version 0.13.1 or later.
- Review Foreman roles granting view_hosts permission.
- Restrict Proxmox compute resource visibility to trusted administrators.
- Rotate any Proxmox password that may have been exposed.
- Check Foreman or Red Hat guidance for environment-specific remediation.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Foreman instances using the Proxmox compute resource plugin.
- Confirm installed foreman_fog_proxmox versions are 0.13.1 or later.
- Review users and roles with view_hosts permission.
- Check whether exposed Proxmox credentials were accessible to non-administrators.
- Verify API responses no longer reveal Proxmox passwords after remediation.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-200: Information exposure and cloud metadata lookup
Information exposure and SSRF weaknesses can make discovery, cloud metadata, and credential material review relevant. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-20259 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1932144CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.