CVE-2017-3960 in Network Security Management
Summary
by MITRE
Exploitation of Authorization vulnerability in the web interface in McAfee Network Security Management (NSM) before 8.2.7.42.2 allows authenticated users to gain elevated privileges via a crafted HTTP request parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3960 represents a critical authorization flaw within McAfee Network Security Management (NSM) web interface components. This issue affects versions prior to 8.2.7.42.2 and demonstrates how insufficient access control mechanisms can be exploited by authenticated users to escalate their privileges within the system. The vulnerability resides in the web interface's handling of HTTP request parameters, specifically where crafted inputs can be manipulated to bypass intended authorization checks and gain elevated system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of user permissions within the NSM web application. When authenticated users submit specific HTTP request parameters, the system fails to adequately verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient privileges for the requested operations. This authorization bypass occurs due to flawed input sanitization and privilege validation logic that does not properly enforce access control policies. The vulnerability can be exploited through carefully crafted HTTP requests that manipulate parameter values to escalate privileges from standard user accounts to administrative or root-level access within the NSM environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on McAfee NSM for network security management. An authenticated attacker who can submit malicious HTTP requests can potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive network monitoring data, modify security policies, or even compromise the entire NSM infrastructure. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it can enable attackers to manipulate network security configurations, view confidential network traffic data, and potentially use the compromised NSM system as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire network security management system, potentially exposing organizations to advanced persistent threats and insider attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for McAfee NSM versions prior to 8.2.7.42.2. Network administrators should also review and restrict access to the NSM web interface, implementing additional authentication layers and monitoring for suspicious HTTP request patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious HTTP request parameters, conducting regular security assessments of the NSM environment, and establishing robust network monitoring to identify unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Organizations should also consider segmenting the NSM management interface from critical network infrastructure to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation.