CVE-2016-8517 in Systems Insight Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A cross site scripting vulnerability in HPE Systems Insight Manager in all versions prior to 7.6 was found.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2021
The cross site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8517 affects HPE Systems Insight Manager, a comprehensive systems management solution designed for monitoring and managing HPE infrastructure components. This vulnerability exists in all versions prior to 7.6 and represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the management platform. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface components of the software, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it within web responses. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that, when executed, can perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically impacts the web-based administration interface of HPE Systems Insight Manager, where user input is processed and displayed without adequate sanitization measures. This type of flaw maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities as the failure to properly encode output to prevent execution of malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking. An attacker who successfully exploits this XSS flaw could potentially escalate privileges within the management interface, gain access to sensitive system information, or manipulate configuration settings that control critical infrastructure components. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where HPE Systems Insight Manager is used to monitor and manage large-scale data center infrastructures, as it could provide attackers with unauthorized access to system management functions and potentially compromise the entire monitored environment. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers Scripting through web shells and malicious script execution within web applications.
Organizations using affected versions of HPE Systems Insight Manager face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential system compromise. The vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including email phishing campaigns, compromised web pages, or by targeting administrators who might unknowingly click on malicious links within the management interface. Given that the vulnerability affects all versions prior to 7.6, organizations must prioritize immediate remediation efforts to upgrade to the patched version. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing proper input validation, output encoding, and content security policies to prevent script injection attacks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation, access controls, and monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their HPE Systems Insight Manager deployments and ensure that all administrative interfaces are properly secured against common web application attacks.