CVE-2016-5756 in Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple components of the web tools in NetIQ Access Manager 4.1 before 4.1.2 Hot Fix 1 and 4.2 before 4.2.2 were vulnerable to Reflected Cross Site Scripting attacks which could be used to hijack user sessions: nps/servlet/frameservice, nps/servlet/webacc, roma/admin/cntl, roma/jsp/admin/appliance/devicedetail_edit.jsp, roma/jsp/admin/managementip/mgmt_ip_details_frameset.jsp, roma/jsp/admin/managementip/mgmt_ip_details_middleframe.jsp, roma/jsp/volsc/monitoring/appliance.jsp, and roma/jsp/volsc/monitoring/graph.jsp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5756 affects NetIQ Access Manager versions prior to 4.1.2 Hot Fix 1 and 4.2.2, representing a critical reflected cross site scripting flaw that compromises user session integrity. This vulnerability resides within multiple web components of the access management platform, specifically targeting servlet endpoints and jsp pages that handle administrative and monitoring functions. The affected paths include nps/servlet/frameservice, nps/servlet/webacc, and various administrative interfaces within the roma directory structure that manage appliance configuration and monitoring capabilities. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that malicious actors can inject malicious scripts into web applications through user input fields or URL parameters that are then reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard XSS attack patterns where an attacker crafts malicious payloads that are submitted to vulnerable endpoints and then executed in the context of other users' browsers. When victims navigate to the maliciously crafted URLs containing the XSS payload, the script executes in their browser session, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions, or redirect users to malicious sites. The impact is particularly severe given that these vulnerable components are part of the administrative interface, meaning successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could potentially execute malicious scripts to gain further access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking to encompass potential privilege escalation and complete system compromise. Since the vulnerable components handle administrative functions including appliance device management, monitoring, and configuration, successful exploitation could allow attackers to modify system settings, access sensitive data, or even take control of the entire access management platform. The presence of multiple vulnerable endpoints increases the attack surface significantly, as different attack vectors exist for exploiting the same underlying flaw. Organizations using NetIQ Access Manager in production environments would face substantial risk of unauthorized access to their authentication infrastructure, potentially affecting thousands of users who depend on the system for secure access to enterprise resources. This vulnerability directly violates security principles of input validation and output encoding, as the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before reflecting it back to users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5756 require immediate implementation of security patches provided by NetIQ, specifically upgrading to versions 4.1.2 Hot Fix 1 or 4.2.2 and later. Organizations should also implement input validation controls at the application level, ensuring that all user inputs are properly sanitized and encoded before being processed or returned to users. Web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers by detecting and blocking suspicious script injection attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit exposure of vulnerable components to untrusted users. Security awareness training for administrators is crucial to prevent social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched applications to ensure that security updates do not introduce functional regressions while maintaining the integrity of the access management infrastructure. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the security infrastructure.