CVE-2005-2358 in Navisphere Manager
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Navisphere Manager 6.4.1.0.0 allows remote attackers to list arbitrary directories via an HTTP request for a directory that ends in a "." (trailing dot).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2358 affects EMC Navisphere Manager version 6.4.1.0.0, representing a significant security flaw in enterprise storage management software. This issue stems from improper input validation within the web interface component of the application, specifically in how it handles directory traversal requests through HTTP protocols. The flaw manifests when an attacker crafts a malicious HTTP request that targets a directory path ending with a trailing dot character, enabling unauthorized directory listing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly sanitize and validate user-supplied input parameters. When the Navisphere Manager receives an HTTP request containing a directory path terminated by a period, the system processes this input without adequate security checks, allowing the attacker to traverse the file system and enumerate directory contents. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of input validation and access control, creating an information disclosure vulnerability that can be exploited remotely without authentication.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to enterprise environments relying on EMC Navisphere Manager for storage infrastructure management. Attackers can leverage this flaw to discover sensitive directory structures, potentially uncovering system layouts, configuration files, and other sensitive information that could aid in subsequent exploitation attempts. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from external networks, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with exposed management interfaces. The vulnerability essentially provides a reconnaissance capability that could lead to more sophisticated attacks targeting the underlying storage infrastructure.
The flaw aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as directory traversal. This weakness enables attackers to access files and directories outside the intended scope, creating a pathway for information disclosure and potential system compromise. Additionally, this vulnerability can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers discovery of file and directory permissions, as the directory listing capability provides attackers with valuable information about system structure and access patterns. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack chain that could lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate application of vendor security patches and updates to the Navisphere Manager software. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to restrict direct access to management interfaces from untrusted networks. Additionally, organizations should deploy web application firewalls and implement proper input validation controls to prevent similar issues in other applications. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in the storage management infrastructure. The remediation process should also include monitoring for suspicious directory listing activities and implementing logging controls to detect potential exploitation attempts.