CVE-2017-7459 in ntopng
Summary
by MITRE
ntopng before 3.0 allows HTTP Response Splitting.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7459 affects ntopng versions prior to 3.0 and represents a critical HTTP Response Splitting flaw that undermines the integrity of web application communications. This vulnerability specifically resides within the web interface of ntopng, a network traffic probe and analysis tool that provides real-time monitoring of network activities. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject malicious content into HTTP responses, potentially leading to various downstream attacks including session hijacking, cross-site scripting, and cache poisoning. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the web server component of ntopng, where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into HTTP response headers without proper filtering mechanisms.
HTTP Response Splitting occurs when an application fails to properly escape or validate data that is used in HTTP response headers, allowing attackers to inject additional HTTP headers or responses. In the context of ntopng, this vulnerability manifests when user-controllable input is processed and included in HTTP responses without proper sanitization, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate the HTTP protocol stack. The flaw typically involves the manipulation of header fields such as location, content-type, or cache-control headers, where malicious input can cause the web server to generate multiple HTTP responses instead of a single intended response. This behavior violates fundamental web security principles and creates numerous attack vectors that can be exploited by threat actors to compromise the application's security posture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can enable sophisticated attacks that compromise user sessions and network monitoring capabilities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session fixation attacks, redirect users to malicious websites, or inject malicious content that appears to originate from the legitimate ntopng application. The implications are particularly severe given that ntopng is designed for network monitoring and analysis, meaning that compromised instances could provide attackers with access to sensitive network traffic data and monitoring information. Additionally, the vulnerability can be exploited to bypass security controls and potentially gain unauthorized access to network resources that are typically protected by the application's authentication mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7459 involve immediate patching of ntopng to version 3.0 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization measures. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of ntopng instances to untrusted networks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-113, which specifically addresses "Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences in HTTP Headers" and is categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1566 for "Phishing with Spoofed Credentials" and T1071 for "Application Layer Protocol". Network administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for unusual HTTP response patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other network monitoring tools and web applications within the organization's infrastructure.