CVE-2016-4948 in Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Cloudera Manager 5.5 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) Template Name field when renaming a template; (2) KDC Server host, (3) Kerberos Security Realm, (4) Kerberos Encryption Types, (5) Advanced Configuration Snippet (Safety Vavle) for [libdefaults] section of krb5.conf, (6) Advanced Configuration Snippet (Safety Vavle) for the Default Realm in krb5.conf, (7) Advanced Configuration Snippet (Safety Vavle) for remaining krb5.conf, or (8) Active Directory Account Prefix fields in the Kerberos wizard; or (9) classicWizard parameter to cmf/cloudera-director/redirect.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4948 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in Cloudera Manager versions 5.5 and earlier, exposing organizations to significant security risks through multiple attack vectors within the web interface. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The affected components span across the Kerberos configuration wizard and template management functionality, creating multiple entry points for malicious actors to exploit.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Cloudera Manager web application. Attackers can manipulate specific fields during Kerberos configuration setup and template renaming processes, where user-supplied data is directly rendered in web responses without proper sanitization. The vulnerable fields include Template Name during template renaming operations, KDC Server host specifications, Kerberos Security Realm definitions, Kerberos Encryption Types configurations, and various Advanced Configuration Snippet fields within the krb5.conf file structure. Additionally, the classicWizard parameter in the cmf/cloudera-director/redirect endpoint presents another attack surface that lacks proper input validation controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to execute malicious code within the context of authenticated users' browsers. This capability allows threat actors to access sensitive configuration data, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users, and potentially escalate privileges within the Cloudera environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Cloudera Manager serves as a central configuration management tool for big data platforms, as successful exploitation could compromise the entire data infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access or exfiltrate configuration details that might reveal network topology, authentication mechanisms, and security settings.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Cloudera Manager versions that address this vulnerability, implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious input, and conducting comprehensive security reviews of all user-supplied data handling processes. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 - Phishing and T1210 - Exploitation of Remote Services, emphasizing the need for both defensive measures and user awareness training. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict input validation policies, implement proper output encoding for all dynamic content, and establish regular security testing procedures to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their big data infrastructure. The remediation process should include thorough testing of all configuration wizards and template management features to ensure that no similar XSS vulnerabilities exist in related functionality.