CVE-2016-3998 in AltaVault
Summary
by MITRE
NetApp AltaVault 4.1 and earlier 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 • 10/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3998 affects NetApp AltaVault versions 4.1 and earlier, specifically targeting the Server Message Block protocol implementation within the system. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that exposes the appliance to various attack vectors through man-in-the-middle techniques. The SMB protocol, widely used for file sharing and network communication, becomes a critical attack surface when proper cryptographic protections are absent or improperly implemented. The vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms and weak cryptographic practices that allow malicious actors to intercept and manipulate network traffic between clients and the AltaVault appliance.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can position themselves between communicating parties to intercept, modify, or redirect SMB traffic. This allows unauthorized access to sensitive information stored on or accessible through the appliance, potentially enabling privilege escalation attacks that could lead to complete system compromise. The flaw specifically impacts the authentication and encryption handling within the SMB implementation, creating opportunities for attackers to impersonate legitimate users or services. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic issues in authentication mechanisms, and CWE-295, relating to improper certificate validation in network protocols.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-3998 extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential system compromise and service disruption. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to data stored in the AltaVault appliance, potentially accessing backup data, configuration information, and user credentials. The privilege escalation capabilities mean that even initial access might be sufficient to elevate privileges and gain administrative control over the system. Additionally, the vulnerability enables denial of service attacks that could prevent legitimate users from accessing critical backup and storage services, disrupting business continuity operations and potentially causing significant data loss incidents.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected NetApp AltaVault appliances to versions that address the SMB protocol implementation weaknesses. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual SMB traffic patterns that might indicate man-in-the-middle activity. The implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms and strong cryptographic protocols should be enforced throughout the network infrastructure. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify SMB-related anomalies and unauthorized authentication attempts. According to ATT&CK framework methodology, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access through network protocol manipulation and privilege escalation via network service exploitation. Organizations should also review their certificate management practices and implement certificate pinning where appropriate to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks targeting the SMB protocol.