CVE-2012-2018 in Network Node Manager i
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HP Network Node Manager i (NNMi) 8.x, 9.0x, and 9.1x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2018 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Hewlett Packard's Network Node Manager i (NNMi) software versions 8.x through 9.1x. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface components of the network management platform, creating a persistent security weakness that enables malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability manifests as a failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input data before rendering it within web pages, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that can compromise user browsers and potentially escalate privileges within the network management environment. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple entry points within the application's web interface could be exploited, making the attack surface broader and more difficult to predict or defend against.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, specifically highlighting the dangerous combination of insufficient input validation and improper output encoding that creates opportunities for attackers to inject malicious code. The attack vector leverages the fundamental principle that web applications must treat all user input as untrusted and must properly escape or encode data before rendering it in web contexts. The implications extend beyond simple script injection, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious sites. The affected versions of NNMi represent a significant attack surface since these are enterprise network management tools that typically run in privileged network environments where users may have elevated access rights to network infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on HP NNMi for network monitoring and management. Attackers could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to network management interfaces, potentially compromising the integrity of network monitoring data and enabling them to manipulate network configurations or access sensitive operational information. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the network infrastructure, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed network management systems. Additionally, the web-based interface of NNMi makes it susceptible to attacks from external sources, potentially allowing attackers to compromise internal network monitoring systems from outside the corporate perimeter, which could lead to complete network management system compromise.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected NNMi versions to the latest security releases provided by HP. The remediation process should include comprehensive network segmentation to isolate critical network management systems and implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Input validation controls should be strengthened throughout the application, with all user-supplied data being properly sanitized and encoded before any rendering occurs. Network administrators should also implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous script injection patterns and establish strict access controls limiting who can interact with the NNMi web interface. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1059.007 (Scripting - JavaScript) and T1566 (Phishing), as it enables attackers to execute malicious scripts and potentially establish persistent access through compromised user sessions. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper input sanitization, which are fundamental requirements for preventing injection-based attacks across enterprise applications.