CVE-2016-9371 in NPort
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Moxa NPort 5110 versions prior to 2.6, NPort 5130/5150 Series versions prior to 3.6, NPort 5200 Series versions prior to 2.8, NPort 5400 Series versions prior to 3.11, NPort 5600 Series versions prior to 3.7, NPort 5100A Series & NPort P5150A versions prior to 1.3, NPort 5200A Series versions prior to 1.3, NPort 5150AI-M12 Series versions prior to 1.2, NPort 5250AI-M12 Series versions prior to 1.2, NPort 5450AI-M12 Series versions prior to 1.2, NPort 5600-8-DT Series versions prior to 2.4, NPort 5600-8-DTL Series versions prior to 2.4, NPort 6x50 Series versions prior to 1.13.11, NPort IA5450A versions prior to v1.4. User-controlled input is not neutralized before being output to web page (CROSS-SITE SCRIPTING).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Moxa network management devices that affects multiple product series including NPort 5110, 5130/5150, 5200, 5400, 5600, 5100A, 5200A, 5150AI-M12, 5250AI-M12, 5450AI-M12, 5600-8-DT, 5600-8-DTL, 6x50, and IA5450A models. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the web-based management interfaces of these industrial network devices. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Cross-Site Scripting, which occurs when user-provided data is directly incorporated into web page output without proper neutralization. This flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers who access the affected web interfaces.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the web server component of these network devices failing to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in HTML output. When administrators or users interact with the web management interface, any input that is not properly filtered or escaped can be executed as script code within the browser context of other users. This creates a persistent threat vector where an attacker could craft malicious payloads that would be stored and executed whenever legitimate users access the affected web pages. The vulnerability affects multiple generations of Moxa industrial network products, indicating a systemic issue in the web application framework across various device families and firmware versions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for industrial environments where these network devices are deployed. Attackers could exploit this weakness to hijack user sessions, steal administrative credentials, or perform unauthorized configuration changes on network infrastructure. The affected devices are commonly used in industrial control systems, manufacturing environments, and network management scenarios where maintaining secure access to network devices is critical. An attacker could potentially use this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to industrial networks, manipulate device configurations, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. This represents a serious security risk for critical infrastructure environments where these devices are commonly deployed.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates to the latest available versions for each affected product series, as Moxa has released patches addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious web traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation measures can provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and represents a classic example of how industrial network devices require robust input validation to prevent web-based attack vectors. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure all industrial network infrastructure remains protected against similar threats.