CVE-2016-1592 in Designer for Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
XSS in NetIQ Designer for Identity Manager before 4.5.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML code via the nrfEntitlementReport.do CGI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1592 represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in NetIQ Designer for Identity Manager versions prior to 4.5.3. This security weakness specifically affects the nrfEntitlementReport.do CGI component, which serves as a critical interface for generating entitlement reports within the identity management system. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious HTML code within the context of affected web applications, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability falls under the category of persistent cross-site scripting as described in CWE-79, which occurs when web applications fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This particular flaw demonstrates how identity management systems can become attack vectors when proper input sanitization measures are absent from CGI scripts that process user requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious HTML content through the nrfEntitlementReport.do CGI endpoint, which likely processes parameters related to entitlement reporting functionality. When users access the affected report generation interface, the malicious code executes in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack requires no privileged access and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on NetIQ Designer for identity management operations. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to manipulate the identity management system's reporting capabilities, potentially gaining insights into user entitlements or disrupting normal operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using NetIQ Designer for Identity Manager, as it could allow attackers to compromise user sessions and access sensitive identity information. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it targets the reporting functionality, which often contains privileged information about user entitlements and access rights. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1566 technique for credential access through social engineering and T1059 for command and control through script injection. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to privilege escalation within the identity management environment, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to additional systems through compromised user credentials.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to NetIQ Designer for Identity Manager version 4.5.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this cross-site scripting vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the affected CGI scripts, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious requests, and conducting regular security assessments of identity management systems. Network segmentation and monitoring of the affected CGI endpoints can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date identity management solutions and implementing robust security controls around web applications that handle sensitive user data. Regular security training for administrators and developers on secure coding practices, particularly regarding input validation and output encoding, remains essential for preventing similar vulnerabilities in the future.