CVE-2016-9165 in Unified Infrastructure Management
Summary
by MITRE
The get_sessions servlet in CA Unified Infrastructure Management (formerly CA Nimsoft Monitor) before 8.5 and CA Unified Infrastructure Management Snap (formerly CA Nimsoft Monitor Snap) allows remote attackers to obtain active session ids and consequently bypass authentication or gain privileges via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9165 resides within the get_sessions servlet component of CA Unified Infrastructure Management and its Snap variant, affecting versions prior to 8.5. This critical authentication bypass flaw stems from improper session management practices that expose active session identifiers to remote attackers without adequate authorization checks. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and represents a significant weakness in the security architecture of these monitoring platforms that are widely deployed in enterprise environments for infrastructure management and monitoring purposes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the get_sessions servlet failing to properly validate incoming requests or authenticate users before returning session information. Attackers can exploit this weakness through unspecified vectors that likely involve crafting malicious requests to the servlet endpoint, potentially leveraging network-based attacks or session hijacking techniques. The flaw essentially allows unauthorized entities to extract active session identifiers which can then be used to impersonate legitimate users within the system. This represents a classic case of insufficient session management controls and inadequate access control mechanisms that directly violates fundamental security principles.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations relying on these monitoring platforms as it enables attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely and potentially gain elevated privileges within the monitored infrastructure. The exposure of active session identifiers creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks, where malicious actors can leverage stolen session tokens to perform administrative functions or access sensitive monitoring data. The implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access as this vulnerability can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the entire monitoring ecosystem, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate monitoring data, disable security features, or gain visibility into critical infrastructure components.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates for CA Unified Infrastructure Management versions 8.5 and later, which address the session management flaws in the get_sessions servlet. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the vulnerable servlet endpoints, while implementing robust monitoring and logging of session-related activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing additional authentication layers and regularly auditing session management configurations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function) and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls. The incident underscores the importance of proper session management practices and the critical nature of maintaining up-to-date security patches in enterprise monitoring solutions.