CVE-2016-1894 in OnCommand Workflow Automation
Summary
by MITRE
NetApp OnCommand Workflow Automation before 3.1P2 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1894 affects NetApp OnCommand Workflow Automation versions prior to 3.1P2, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that exposes organizations to unauthorized access. This issue falls under the category of weak authentication mechanisms and represents a significant security risk for enterprise storage management systems. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to circumvent the authentication process through unspecified vectors, potentially enabling full administrative control over the workflow automation system without proper credentials.
The technical nature of this authentication bypass stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the authentication flow of the OnCommand Workflow Automation platform. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to the system, potentially leading to complete compromise of the storage management infrastructure. This flaw operates at the application layer and affects the authentication protocol implementation, making it particularly dangerous as it undermines the fundamental security controls designed to protect enterprise storage environments. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths may exist, potentially including session management flaws, improper access control checks, or credential handling vulnerabilities within the authentication framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to manipulate storage workflows, modify automated processes, and potentially disrupt critical business operations. Organizations relying on NetApp OnCommand Workflow Automation for their storage management operations face significant risk of data compromise, service disruption, and potential regulatory violations. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the storage management system, as attackers could modify workflow definitions, execute unauthorized commands, or gain access to sensitive operational data. This risk is particularly severe in enterprise environments where storage automation systems control critical infrastructure and data workflows.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-1894 require immediate patching of affected systems to version 3.1P2 or later, which addresses the authentication bypass vulnerability through proper credential validation and access control enforcement. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the OnCommand Workflow Automation system, deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and conduct thorough security assessments of their storage management infrastructure. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat. Regular security updates, privileged access management, and comprehensive monitoring of authentication events should be implemented as part of a layered defense strategy to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.