CVE-2008-6701 in Ngenius Infinistream
Summary
by MITRE
NetScout (formerly Network General) Visualizer V2100 and InfiniStream i1730 do not restrict access to ResourceManager/en_US/domains/add_domain.jsp, which allows remote attackers to gain administrator privileges via a direct request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6701 affects NetScout Visualizer V2100 and InfiniStream i1730 systems, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of network monitoring infrastructure. This issue stems from insufficient authentication and authorization mechanisms within the web application framework of these network analysis tools, which are commonly deployed in enterprise environments for network traffic analysis and visualization. The vulnerability specifically impacts the ResourceManager component that handles domain management functions within the Visualizer platform, creating a pathway for unauthorized remote attackers to escalate their privileges and assume administrative control over the affected systems.
The technical flaw manifests through a direct request vulnerability in the add_domain.jsp web page component, which operates under the en_US/domains path structure within the ResourceManager module. This.jsp file lacks proper access controls and authentication checks, allowing any remote attacker who can reach the system to submit requests directly to this endpoint without requiring valid credentials or proper authorization. The absence of input validation and privilege verification means that malicious actors can bypass normal authentication flows and execute administrative functions through simple HTTP requests. This weakness aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in web applications, and represents a classic example of insecure direct object reference vulnerabilities that enable privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected network monitoring systems. Once an attacker gains administrator privileges, they can modify network configurations, manipulate traffic analysis data, disable security features, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. This poses significant risks to enterprise network security, as these tools are typically deployed at critical network points and contain sensitive information about network traffic patterns, user behavior, and system configurations. The vulnerability also enables attackers to conduct advanced persistent threat operations, including network reconnaissance, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within the network environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate access control remediation through proper authentication mechanisms and authorization checks within the ResourceManager component. Organizations should implement network segmentation to restrict access to these administrative interfaces, deploy web application firewalls to monitor and filter requests to sensitive endpoints, and ensure that all administrative interfaces require strong authentication with multi-factor authentication capabilities. The remediation process should include disabling or restricting access to the add_domain.jsp endpoint until proper authentication controls are implemented, and regular security assessments should verify that no other similar direct object reference vulnerabilities exist within the application. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following the principle of least privilege and implementing proper input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security standards, while also aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through exploitation of insecure web applications.