CVE-2017-2328 in NorthStar Controller Application
Summary
by MITRE
An information leak vulnerability in Juniper Networks NorthStar Controller Application prior to version 2.1.0 Service Pack 1 may allow an unprivileged, authenticated, user to elevate their permissions through reading unprivileged information stored in the NorthStar controller.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2328 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Juniper Networks NorthStar Controller Application, affecting versions prior to 2.1.0 Service Pack 1. This vulnerability exposes a fundamental weakness in the application's access control mechanisms, where unprivileged authenticated users can exploit the system to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information that should remain restricted to privileged administrators. The NorthStar controller serves as a critical network management platform that orchestrates and controls network infrastructure, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise and service provider environments that rely on its functionality for network operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate information flow control within the NorthStar application's authentication and authorization framework. Specifically, the flaw allows authenticated users to access data structures and configuration elements that contain privileged information, effectively enabling privilege escalation through information gathering rather than direct access control bypass. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control where the application fails to properly enforce the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability operates by allowing an authenticated user to read system information that should be restricted, potentially revealing network topology details, user credentials, or administrative configuration parameters that could be leveraged for further attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2328 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a pathway for attackers to gather intelligence that could facilitate more sophisticated attacks within the network infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially map network dependencies, identify critical systems, and understand the administrative structure of the NorthStar controller, significantly reducing the attack surface for subsequent exploitation attempts. This information leakage could enable attackers to craft more targeted attacks against network devices, potentially leading to complete network compromise. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in environments where NorthStar serves as a central management point for large-scale network deployments, as the leaked information could expose the entire network architecture to unauthorized parties.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the remediation measures provided by Juniper Networks, including upgrading to version 2.1.0 Service Pack 1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the information disclosure flaw. Network administrators should also conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred prior to the patch deployment. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for unusual authentication patterns and implementing additional access controls to limit information exposure even within the privileged user base. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing proper information classification controls, as it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 for account discovery and T1005 for data from local system, emphasizing the need for comprehensive network security monitoring and access control enforcement.