CVE-2017-7426 in Identity Manager Plugins
Summary
by MITRE
The NetIQ Identity Manager Plugins before 4.6.1 contained various XML External XML Entity (XXE) handling flaws that could be used by attackers to leak information or cause denial of service attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7426 represents a critical XML External Entity processing flaw within NetIQ Identity Manager Plugins versions prior to 4.6.1. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-611 weakness category, specifically addressing insecure XML processing that allows attackers to manipulate XML parsers through external entity references. The flaw exists in the way the plugins handle XML input, creating potential attack vectors that could be exploited to extract sensitive information or disrupt service availability. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in identity management systems where authentication and authorization processes are critical for enterprise security infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this XXE vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of XML input within the NetIQ Identity Manager Plugins framework. Attackers can craft malicious XML payloads that reference external entities, allowing them to access local files, perform server-side request forgery attacks, or trigger denial of service conditions. The vulnerability manifests when the XML parser processes untrusted input without proper restrictions on external entity resolution, enabling attackers to leverage the parser's ability to fetch resources from remote servers or access local file systems. This processing flaw allows for information disclosure through entity expansion and can be leveraged for reconnaissance activities targeting internal network resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7426 extends beyond simple information leakage, as it provides attackers with capabilities that align with multiple tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under initial access and privilege escalation categories. Organizations utilizing affected NetIQ Identity Manager Plugins face potential exposure of sensitive credentials, configuration files, and internal system information through unauthorized XML entity processing. The vulnerability can be exploited to perform denial of service attacks by consuming system resources through recursive entity expansion, potentially affecting authentication services and disrupting legitimate user access to identity management systems. This impacts the availability and integrity of enterprise identity infrastructure, which forms the foundation for access control and security policy enforcement.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7426 should prioritize immediate patching of affected NetIQ Identity Manager Plugins to version 4.6.1 or later, which includes proper XML entity handling and validation mechanisms. Organizations should implement XML parser configurations that disable external entity resolution and DTD processing entirely, following security best practices outlined in OWASP XML Security Guidelines. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of identity management systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous XML processing patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other enterprise systems that may be susceptible to XXE attacks, ensuring comprehensive protection against this class of vulnerabilities.