CVE-2012-3279 in Network Node Manager i
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in HP Network Node Manager i (NNMi) 8.x, 9.0x, 9.1x, and 9.20 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2018
The CVE-2012-3279 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Hewlett Packard's Network Node Manager i (NNMi) versions 8.x through 9.20. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and exposes the network management platform to remote code execution through malicious web script injection. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface components of NNMi, creating persistent entry points for malicious actors to exploit.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response handling mechanisms. This occurs when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages, enabling attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability affects the web-based management interface of NNMi, which is commonly used by network administrators to monitor and manage network infrastructure components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows remote attackers to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of network management operations. Attackers could potentially hijack user sessions, steal administrative credentials, manipulate network monitoring data, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on NNMi for network infrastructure management, as successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of network monitoring capabilities and potential lateral movement within the network environment. This represents a significant risk to network security operations and could facilitate more sophisticated attacks targeting the underlying network infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by HP, implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious payloads, and conducting thorough input validation on all user-supplied data. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the vulnerable NNMi interface. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious web content and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring for suspicious script injection patterns and conduct regular security assessments of network management applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and proper input validation practices in enterprise network management systems.