CVE-2016-3400 in Data Ontap
Summary
by MITRE
NetApp Data ONTAP, when operating in 7-Mode 8.1 and 8.2, allows man-in-the-middle attackers to obtain sensitive information, gain privileges, or cause a denial of service via vectors related to the SMB protocol.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3400 affects NetApp Data ONTAP systems operating in 7-Mode configuration with versions 8.1 and 8.2. This security flaw resides within the SMB protocol implementation and represents a significant concern for enterprise environments that rely on NetApp storage solutions. The vulnerability enables man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise system integrity and availability through multiple attack vectors. The affected versions demonstrate a critical weakness in the authentication and communication protocols that govern file sharing operations within the storage infrastructure.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient cryptographic security measures within the SMB implementation of NetApp Data ONTAP 7-Mode systems. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by intercepting network communications between clients and the storage system to perform various malicious activities including credential theft, privilege escalation, and service disruption. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication handshake process within SMB protocol negotiations, allowing adversaries to manipulate communication channels without proper encryption or integrity verification. This weakness creates opportunities for attackers to establish unauthorized access to shared resources and potentially gain elevated system privileges.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and service disruption. Organizations utilizing affected NetApp systems face risks of unauthorized data access, modification of critical storage operations, and potential complete denial of service conditions that can halt business operations. The vulnerability affects the core file sharing capabilities of the storage infrastructure, potentially exposing sensitive corporate data to unauthorized parties. System administrators may experience unauthorized privilege escalation that could lead to complete control over storage resources and associated network services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-3400 should prioritize immediate implementation of security patches provided by NetApp to address the SMB protocol vulnerabilities. Organizations must also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous SMB traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310 cryptographic weaknesses and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework category T1071 for application layer protocol usage. Network administrators should consider disabling SMB protocol access where not essential and implement strong encryption requirements for all storage communications. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in storage infrastructure components and ensure comprehensive protection against man-in-the-middle attacks.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current security patches for enterprise storage systems and highlights the need for robust network security monitoring. Organizations should implement defense-in-depth strategies that include network traffic analysis, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. The impact of this vulnerability extends to compliance requirements and data protection standards that organizations must maintain to protect sensitive information assets.