CVE-2016-4380 in Operations Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the AdminUI in HPE Operations Manager 9.21.x before 9.21.130 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4380 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the AdminUI component of HPE Operations Manager version 9.21.x prior to 9.21.130. This security weakness resides in the administrative user interface of the network monitoring and management platform, which is widely deployed in enterprise environments for system oversight and operational management. The vulnerability affects authenticated users who possess administrative privileges within the HPE Operations Manager environment, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors with legitimate access credentials.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the AdminUI's handling of user-supplied data. Attackers with authenticated access can leverage this flaw to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's response payloads. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may manifest across multiple input points within the administrative interface, potentially including form fields, parameter handling, or dynamic content generation mechanisms. This weakness allows attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the victim's browser session, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive administrative operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4380 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the enterprise network infrastructure. An authenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal administrative session tokens, access sensitive configuration data, or manipulate the operational management interface to redirect traffic or alter system behavior. The implications are particularly severe given that HPE Operations Manager is typically deployed in mission-critical environments where administrative access controls are paramount. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices that mandate proper input sanitization and output encoding.
The exploitation of this vulnerability can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which involves the use of scripting languages for execution, as attackers could leverage the XSS capability to execute malicious scripts within the browser context of authenticated users. Additionally, this weakness enables potential lateral movement within the network environment through session hijacking and privilege escalation attacks. Organizations utilizing HPE Operations Manager should implement immediate remediation measures including applying the vendor-provided patch to version 9.21.130 or later, which addresses the input validation gaps that enable this cross-site scripting attack vector. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in enterprise management platforms where administrative interfaces are exposed to potential compromise.