CVE-2017-1458 in QRadar Network Security
Summary
by MITRE
IBM QRadar Network Security 5.4 is vulnerable to a XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when processing XML data. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to expose sensitive information or consume memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 128377.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1458 represents a critical XML External Entity Injection flaw within IBM QRadar Network Security version 5.4. This weakness occurs when the system processes XML data without proper validation or sanitization of external entity references, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior. The vulnerability stems from the application's insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly handle XML parsing operations, particularly when encountering external entity declarations within XML documents.
The technical exploitation of this XXE vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious XML entities that can reference external resources or perform internal system operations. When the vulnerable QRadar system processes malformed XML data, it may attempt to resolve external entity references, potentially leading to information disclosure through retrieval of internal system files, network service enumeration, or even denial of service conditions. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication and can be executed remotely, making it accessible to any attacker with network connectivity to the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential system resource exhaustion and unauthorized access to sensitive data. Attackers could leverage the XXE flaw to consume excessive memory resources through recursive entity references, leading to denial of service conditions that disrupt network security monitoring capabilities. Additionally, the vulnerability may enable attackers to access internal system files, configuration data, or other sensitive information that should remain protected within the secure environment of the QRadar appliance. This compromise directly affects the integrity and confidentiality of network security monitoring data that organizations rely upon for threat detection and incident response.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling external entity processing in XML parsers, implementing proper input validation for all XML data processing, and applying the vendor-provided security patches. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-611, which specifically addresses XML External Entity Processing vulnerabilities, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for data from information repositories. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the vulnerable QRadar system, while regular security assessments should verify that XML processing components have been properly hardened against similar injection attacks. The remediation process must include thorough testing of XML processing functionality to ensure that security measures do not inadvertently break legitimate system operations while effectively preventing the XXE exploitation vector.