CVE-2017-6225 in Fibre Channel SAN
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Brocade Fibre Channel SAN products running Brocade Fabric OS (FOS) versions before 7.4.2b, 8.1.2 and 8.2.0 could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive browser-based information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2020
The CVE-2017-6225 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the web-based management interface of Brocade Fibre Channel SAN products, specifically affecting Brocade Fabric OS versions prior to 7.4.2b, 8.1.2, and 8.2.0. This vulnerability resides in the administrative web interface component that serves as the primary management portal for configuring and monitoring fibre channel storage area networks. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the web application layer, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the management interface of enterprise storage infrastructure, which typically requires elevated privileges and contains sensitive operational data.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input that gets processed and displayed within the web interface without proper sanitization. This allows attackers to inject malicious javascript code that executes in the context of the victim's browser session. The flaw enables remote code execution capabilities and sensitive information disclosure, as the malicious scripts can access session cookies, form data, and other browser-based information that the authenticated user has access to. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which directly maps to the standard web application security weakness category for cross-site scripting flaws. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between the user's browser and the management interface, allowing attackers to perform actions as if they were authenticated users with administrative privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to manipulate the storage network configuration, access sensitive data, and potentially compromise the entire fibre channel SAN infrastructure. Organizations utilizing affected Brocade Fibre Channel SAN products face significant risks including unauthorized access to storage resources, data exfiltration, and potential disruption of critical business operations. The vulnerability affects the core management functionality of the storage network, which typically requires continuous availability and security. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to establish persistent access to the storage infrastructure, monitor network traffic, and potentially escalate privileges to gain full administrative control over the SAN environment. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, where adversaries leverage browser-based scripting to execute malicious code within the context of legitimate applications.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided security patches for Brocade Fabric OS versions 7.4.2b, 8.1.2, and 8.2.0 to address the XSS vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the management interface to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface for remote exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the storage infrastructure. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing proper web application security controls including output encoding, content security policies, and regular security code reviews. Monitoring for suspicious activities in the management interface logs and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for management access and maintaining detailed audit trails of all administrative activities to facilitate incident response and forensic analysis when such vulnerabilities are exploited.