CVE-2016-6484 in NetMRI
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in Infoblox Network Automation NetMRI before 7.1.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers and conduct HTTP response splitting attacks via the contentType parameter in a login action to config/userAdmin/login.tdf.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The CVE-2016-6484 vulnerability represents a critical CRLF injection flaw discovered in Infoblox Network Automation NetMRI software versions prior to 7.1.1. This vulnerability specifically targets the application's handling of user authentication requests through the login.tdf endpoint, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate HTTP headers and execute response splitting attacks. The flaw resides in how the system processes the contentType parameter within the login action, allowing malicious actors to inject carriage return and line feed characters that can alter the HTTP response structure. Such vulnerabilities fall under CWE-113, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of CRLF characters in HTTP headers, making this a well-documented weakness in web application security. The attack vector leverages the fact that the NetMRI application does not properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into HTTP response headers, creating an environment where attackers can inject malicious content that gets executed by the web server or client applications. This particular vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it occurs during the authentication process, which is a critical component of any network management system, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive network infrastructure data and configuration information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious request that includes CRLF characters within the contentType parameter of the login.tdf endpoint. When the application processes this input without proper sanitization, the injected characters can cause the HTTP response to be split into multiple responses, enabling attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers or even redirect users to malicious websites. This type of attack can be categorized under the ATT&CK framework's T1566 technique for "Phishing" and T1190 for "Exploit Public-Facing Application," as it targets a publicly accessible authentication endpoint. The response splitting attack can lead to various malicious outcomes including session hijacking, cross-site scripting attacks, or cache poisoning, all of which can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of network management operations. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that NetMRI is designed for network automation and management, meaning that successful exploitation could provide attackers with access to critical network infrastructure information, potentially affecting thousands of network devices managed through the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6484 extends beyond simple authentication bypasses, as it represents a fundamental flaw in how the application handles user input validation and HTTP response construction. Organizations using affected NetMRI versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to their network management systems, potentially exposing sensitive configuration data, network topology information, and administrative credentials. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not need physical access to the network or direct system interaction, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with public-facing network management interfaces. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework's Identify and Protect functions, as it represents an insufficient input validation control that could lead to unauthorized access and data exposure. The flaw demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding practices, particularly in authentication and session management components. Organizations should also consider that this vulnerability may have been exploited in the wild prior to its discovery, potentially indicating that affected systems may already have been compromised. The remediation process requires immediate patching to version 7.1.1 or later, along with thorough security assessments of previously accessed systems to identify any potential compromise indicators. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring for suspicious login patterns and HTTP header anomalies that could indicate exploitation attempts.