CVE-2023-29974
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-29974 is a critical authentication vulnerability in pfSense CE 2.6.0 that allows attackers to compromise user accounts due to weak password requirements. This affects all organizations running the vulnerable pfSense version, potentially exposing administrative and user accounts to unauthorized access.
💻 Affected Systems
- pfSense CE
📦 What is this software?
Pfsense by Pfsense
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise where attackers gain administrative access, modify firewall rules, intercept network traffic, and pivot to internal networks.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to user accounts leading to credential theft, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement within the network.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with strong network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, and proper monitoring in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires network access to the web interface but leverages weak password policies rather than technical exploits.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: pfSense CE 2.7.0 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/releases/2-7-0.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup current configuration. 2. Update to pfSense CE 2.7.0 or later via System > Update. 3. Verify update completed successfully. 4. Review and strengthen password policies.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Enforce Strong Password Policy
allManually enforce strong password requirements through administrative controls
Navigate to System > User Manager > Settings > Password Policy and configure minimum length 12+ characters, complexity requirements, and expiration
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
allAdd MFA to all administrative and user accounts
Navigate to System > User Manager > Edit User > Authentication and enable TOTP or other MFA methods
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to restrict access to pfSense management interface
- Enable comprehensive logging and monitoring for authentication attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check pfSense version via Dashboard or System > System Information. If version is exactly 2.6.0, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
ssh admin@pfSense-host 'cat /etc/version' or check web interface DashboardVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 2.7.0 or later and check that password policy enforces strong requirements.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful login
- Authentication from unusual IP addresses
- Password policy changes
Network Indicators:
- Brute force attempts on port 443 (web interface)
- Unusual authentication traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
source="pfSense" (event_type="authentication" AND result="success") | stats count by src_ip, user | where count > threshold