CVE-2014-8534 in Network Data Loss Prevention
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the login form in McAfee Network Data Loss Prevention (NDLP) before 9.2.2 allows local users to cause a denial of service via a crafted value in the domain field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8534 resides within the login form implementation of McAfee Network Data Loss Prevention software version 9.2.1 and earlier. This issue represents a critical security flaw that affects the authentication mechanism of the NDLP system, which is designed to monitor and protect sensitive data across network environments. The vulnerability specifically targets the domain field input validation process within the login interface, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to disrupt system availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and validation within the domain field of the login form. When a local user submits a crafted value in the domain field, the system fails to properly handle the malformed input, resulting in a denial of service condition. This flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates poor error handling practices that allow malformed data to cascade through the authentication process. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation vector since it requires local system access but does not necessitate elevated privileges to exploit, making it particularly concerning for environments where local access might be compromised.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly undermines the availability and reliability of the McAfee NDLP system. Organizations relying on this security solution for data loss prevention could experience complete service disruption when an attacker exploits this weakness. The denial of service condition affects the authentication system, preventing legitimate users from accessing the protected network resources and potentially allowing unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity of the security infrastructure, as it compromises the fundamental authentication mechanisms that protect enterprise data. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects the login form, which is a core component of any security system and is frequently accessed by both authorized and unauthorized users.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-8534 should prioritize immediate patch deployment to version 9.2.2 or later of McAfee NDLP, which contains the necessary fixes for the input validation issues. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit local access to critical systems and establish monitoring protocols to detect unusual login patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Input validation controls should be enhanced across all authentication interfaces, implementing strict sanitization and length limitations for all user-supplied data fields. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access via brute force or credential stuffing attacks that could be amplified by this denial of service condition. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing authentication system compromises. Regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other security applications and ensure comprehensive protection against similar attack vectors.