CVE-2017-4013 in Network Data Loss Prevention
Summary
by MITRE
Banner Disclosure in the server in McAfee Network Data Loss Prevention (NDLP) 9.3.x allows remote attackers to obtain product information via HTTP response header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-4013 represents a banner disclosure issue within McAfee Network Data Loss Prevention version 9.3.x, specifically affecting the server component of this security solution. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure, where sensitive system information is inadvertently exposed to unauthorized parties through HTTP response headers. The flaw enables remote attackers to gather product-specific details about the NDLP server implementation, potentially providing attackers with valuable intelligence for subsequent exploitation attempts. Such information disclosure vulnerabilities are particularly concerning in security products, as they can reveal critical implementation details that adversaries might leverage to craft targeted attacks against the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the server's improper handling of HTTP responses within the McAfee NDLP 9.3.x software. When the server processes HTTP requests, it includes identifying information in the response headers that reveals the specific product name, version number, and potentially other implementation details. This occurs due to insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the HTTP response generation process. The vulnerability is classified as a banner disclosure because the server essentially announces its identity and version information in a way that is accessible to any remote entity capable of sending HTTP requests to the affected service. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of defense in depth and principle of least privilege, as it provides unnecessary information that could be used to tailor attacks specifically against this version of the software.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-4013 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it significantly weakens the security posture of organizations utilizing McAfee NDLP 9.3.x. Attackers who discover this vulnerability can use the disclosed information to identify specific software versions and potentially correlate this data with known exploits or vulnerabilities within that particular version. This intelligence gathering capability allows threat actors to perform more sophisticated attacks, including version-specific exploits, social engineering campaigns, or targeted malware delivery that is specifically designed to attack the identified software implementation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects a security product itself, meaning that an attacker who discovers this information can potentially bypass security controls or gain deeper insights into the organization's security infrastructure. From an attacker's perspective, this information disclosure creates a foundation for more advanced reconnaissance activities that could lead to complete system compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official McAfee patches or updates that address the banner disclosure issue in the HTTP response handling. The fix typically involves modifying the server's response header generation to remove or sanitize the product identification information that is being exposed. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the affected service to only authorized entities. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of HTTP requests that might indicate reconnaissance activity targeting the specific version information. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and represents a clear violation of the principle of minimal disclosure in security architecture. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to reconnaissance activities where adversaries gather information about target systems before launching more sophisticated attacks, specifically the T1082 technique for system information discovery. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper security hardening practices and the need for security products to not inadvertently expose their own implementation details to potential attackers.