CVE-2017-6405 in NetBackup
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Veritas NetBackup 8.0 and earlier and NetBackup Appliance 3.0 and earlier. Hostname-based security is open to DNS spoofing.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6405 affects Veritas NetBackup and NetBackup Appliance products across multiple versions, presenting a significant security weakness in the hostname-based authentication mechanism. This flaw stems from the improper handling of hostname verification processes that rely on Domain Name System resolution for security validation. The issue creates an avenue for attackers to exploit the trust relationships established through hostnames, potentially allowing unauthorized access to backup systems that depend on this authentication method.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the implementation of hostname-based security protocols that do not adequately validate DNS responses or implement proper certificate pinning mechanisms. When systems authenticate using hostnames, they typically rely on DNS resolution to confirm the identity of remote hosts. However, this implementation fails to account for potential DNS spoofing attacks where malicious actors can manipulate DNS responses to redirect traffic to unauthorized systems. This weakness directly maps to CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and CWE-310, which covers cryptographic issues related to authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and trust model implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access attempts, as it can enable attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against NetBackup communications. Attackers exploiting this weakness can intercept backup data transfers, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, or denial of service conditions. The implications are particularly severe for backup environments where sensitive organizational data is stored and managed, as these systems often contain comprehensive copies of enterprise data. The vulnerability affects both the NetBackup server and appliance components, creating a widespread risk across Veritas backup infrastructure deployments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including strengthening DNS security measures through DNSSEC implementation, deploying proper certificate validation mechanisms, and configuring hostname-based authentication to use additional verification methods beyond simple DNS resolution. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous DNS activity that might indicate spoofing attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1566 for credential access through social engineering or network manipulation. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify the effectiveness of implemented controls, while system administrators should monitor for unusual authentication patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.