CVE-2011-4156 in Network Node Manager i
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HP Network Node Manager i (NNMi) 9.0x and 9.1x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-4155.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4156 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within HP Network Node Manager i version 9.0x and 9.1x product lines. This security weakness enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected systems, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based interface components of the network management software, which serves as a critical access point for administrators and users interacting with network infrastructure monitoring capabilities.
This XSS vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that allow malicious actors to inject crafted payloads into the application's input handling mechanisms. The flaw resides in the manner in which the software processes user-supplied data within web responses, failing to properly sanitize or encode potentially dangerous characters and script elements. The vulnerability is classified as a type of injection attack that exploits the trust relationship between web applications and browsers, enabling attackers to execute scripts in the context of other users' sessions. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly neutralize input data that is subsequently used in web page generation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, manipulate data displayed to users, or redirect them to malicious websites. Network administrators who rely on HP NNMi for monitoring critical infrastructure may find their systems compromised, potentially leading to unauthorized access to network configurations, device credentials, or monitoring data. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the network infrastructure to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such tools are frequently exposed to external networks.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, demonstrating how attackers can leverage web-based scripting capabilities to compromise systems. The attack surface includes any input field or parameter that is reflected in the web interface without proper sanitization. Organizations using affected versions of HP NNMi should consider the broader implications of this vulnerability, particularly in environments where network monitoring tools are accessible from untrusted networks. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution vector through web interface manipulation underscores the importance of implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment from HP, which would address the root cause through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected systems, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts, and conduct comprehensive input validation testing on all user-facing web interfaces. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators should emphasize the importance of keeping software components updated and monitoring for anomalous user activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect network management infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated web-based attacks.