CVE-2017-5781 in Matrix Operating Environment
Summary
by MITRE
A CSRF vulnerability in HPE Matrix Operating Environment version v7.6 was found.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2020
The CVE-2017-5781 vulnerability represents a cross-site request forgery issue within the HPE Matrix Operating Environment version v7.6, a critical component in enterprise storage management systems. This vulnerability resides in the web-based administrative interface of the Matrix Operating Environment, which serves as the primary management platform for HPE storage arrays. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the lack of proper anti-CSRF protections in the web application's request handling mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of anti-CSRF tokens within the administrative web interface. When authenticated users navigate to malicious websites or click on compromised links, the attacker can craft requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions. This occurs because the Matrix Operating Environment fails to properly verify the referer header or implement robust CSRF token mechanisms that would validate the authenticity of requests coming from authorized administrative sessions. The vulnerability affects the web-based management interface specifically, where administrative functions such as configuration changes, user management, and system modifications are performed through HTTP requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on HPE Matrix Operating Environment v7.6, as it could enable unauthorized individuals to perform administrative actions without proper authorization. An attacker could potentially modify storage configurations, create or delete users, alter system settings, or even perform destructive operations within the storage environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through social engineering attacks where users are tricked into visiting malicious websites while maintaining active sessions with the Matrix Operating Environment. This could lead to data integrity issues, unauthorized access to storage resources, and potential compromise of the entire storage infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches released for HPE Matrix Operating Environment v7.6, which typically include proper CSRF token implementation and enhanced request validation mechanisms. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the administrative interface to trusted networks only. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The attack pattern would typically follow ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, making it a multi-layered threat requiring comprehensive defensive measures. Regular security assessments and user awareness training are essential to prevent exploitation of this type of vulnerability in enterprise storage environments.