CVE-2017-13762 in ONOS
Summary
by MITRE
ONOS versions 1.8.0, 1.9.0, and 1.10.0 are vulnerable to XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13762 affects ONOS network operating system versions 1.8.0, 1.9.0, and 1.10.0, exposing them to cross-site scripting attacks that can compromise the security of network management interfaces. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative console of ONOS, which is designed to provide network operators with a graphical interface for managing software-defined networking environments. The affected versions contain insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into the application's response.
The technical flaw manifests when ONOS processes user input through its web interface without adequate sanitization of potentially malicious content. Specifically, the vulnerability occurs in the handling of parameters that are directly reflected in web responses without proper HTML encoding or context-appropriate sanitization. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that, when submitted through the web interface, get executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected pages. This weakness falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where web applications fail to properly validate or encode user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because ONOS serves as a critical network management platform, and compromising its web interface could provide attackers with access to sensitive network configuration data, potentially enabling them to manipulate network flows, access confidential information, or disrupt network operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it represents a significant threat to network security and integrity. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to network management functions, potentially leading to complete network compromise. The attack surface is particularly dangerous given that ONOS is designed for use in enterprise and service provider environments where network administrators rely on its web interface for critical operations. The vulnerability affects both the authentication and authorization mechanisms within the web interface, allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated sessions. This could enable privilege escalation attacks where attackers manipulate session tokens, modify network configurations, or extract sensitive data from the management interface. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage, as the malicious scripts could be used to establish persistent access or exfiltrate data from the compromised system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13762 should prioritize immediate patching of affected ONOS versions to the latest releases that contain proper input validation and output encoding fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive web application firewall rules to detect and block known malicious payloads targeting this specific vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the ONOS web interface to trusted administrative networks only. Additionally, security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential XSS vulnerabilities within the network management infrastructure. The remediation process should include thorough input validation across all user-facing interfaces, implementing proper HTML encoding for dynamic content, and establishing secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten security guidelines. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions to detect suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual patterns of web requests that could indicate XSS attack payloads being submitted to the vulnerable web interface.