CVE-2009-0860 in NetMRI
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web user interface in the login application in NetMRI 3.0.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, related to error pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0860 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the web user interface of NetMRI 3.0.1 and earlier versions. This security weakness specifically manifests in the login application component of the network monitoring and management platform, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on this software for network infrastructure management. The vulnerability's presence in error pages demonstrates how seemingly benign system responses can become attack vectors when proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms are absent. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire network monitoring environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user inputs and improper handling of error conditions within the web application's login interface. When the system encounters malformed input or processing errors, it fails to properly escape or encode the output displayed to users, creating opportunities for malicious actors to inject JavaScript code or HTML content. This weakness aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that threat actors do not require physical access or local network privileges to exploit this flaw, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal authentication credentials, or redirect users to malicious websites. In the context of NetMRI's network monitoring capabilities, successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive network data, potentially compromising the integrity of network infrastructure monitoring and management functions. The vulnerability's presence in error pages is particularly concerning because these pages are often displayed to users without additional security considerations, and attackers can craft inputs designed to trigger error conditions that subsequently execute malicious code. This attack vector represents a classic example of how error handling mechanisms can become security weaknesses when proper input validation and output encoding are not implemented.
Organizations utilizing NetMRI versions 3.0.1 and earlier should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the software, implementing proper input validation controls, and configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts. The remediation strategy should also include comprehensive security testing of all user input handling mechanisms, particularly those involved in error page generation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communications and credential access through web application exploitation, potentially enabling adversaries to establish persistent access to network monitoring systems. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious web traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability's remote nature makes it susceptible to automated scanning and exploitation tools commonly found in threat actor toolkits.