CVE-2017-3968 in Network Security Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in the web interface in McAfee Network Security Manager (NSM) before 8.2.7.42.2 and McAfee Network Data Loss Prevention (NDLP) before 9.3.4.1.5 allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information or manipulate the database via a crafted authentication cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2023
The CVE-2017-3968 vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw affecting McAfee Network Security Manager versions prior to 8.2.7.42.2 and McAfee Network Data Loss Prevention versions before 9.3.4.1.5. This vulnerability resides within the web interface authentication mechanism and presents a significant risk to organizations relying on these security solutions for network protection and data loss prevention. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the session management system through manipulation of authentication cookies, potentially leading to unauthorized access and data compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate session handling within the web interface components of these McAfee products. When users authenticate to the system, the application fails to properly regenerate session identifiers upon successful login, allowing attackers to maintain persistent sessions through crafted authentication cookies. This weakness aligns with CWE-384, which specifically addresses session fixation vulnerabilities where the application does not adequately invalidate or regenerate session tokens during the authentication process. The vulnerability exists because the system does not properly implement secure session management practices, particularly the critical requirement to establish fresh session identifiers after successful authentication.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates multiple attack vectors for threat actors targeting enterprise security infrastructure. Remote attackers can exploit the flaw to gain unauthorized access to sensitive network monitoring data, manipulate database contents, or potentially escalate privileges within the compromised system. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as attackers can manipulate the underlying database through the compromised session, potentially altering security policies, modifying network configurations, or accessing confidential network traffic data. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using McAfee NSM and NDLP solutions for enterprise security management, where the compromised systems serve as critical components for network visibility and data protection.
The security implications of CVE-2017-3968 align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1078 Valid Accounts for initial access and T1098 Account Manipulation for maintaining persistence. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish long-term access to network monitoring systems while evading detection mechanisms that might otherwise identify unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target these systems from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that do not properly segment their security infrastructure. Organizations using these McAfee solutions face significant risk of unauthorized access to critical network monitoring data and potential compromise of their overall security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to versions 8.2.7.42.2 and 9.3.4.1.5 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary fixes for proper session management. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to these management interfaces and establish robust monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. Additional protective measures include implementing secure session management practices such as automatic session timeout, proper cookie security attributes, and regular security audits of authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and implementing proper session handling protocols to prevent attackers from exploiting session management weaknesses in enterprise security infrastructure.