CVE-2017-8971 in Matrix Operating Environment
Summary
by MITRE
A clickjacking vulnerability in HPE Matrix Operating Environment version 7.6 LR1 was found.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2020
The CVE-2017-8971 vulnerability represents a significant clickjacking flaw within the HPE Matrix Operating Environment version 7.6 LR1, a critical component in enterprise storage management systems. This vulnerability resides in the web-based administrative interface of the HPE Matrix Operating Environment, which is designed to provide centralized management of HPE storage arrays and virtualization platforms. The flaw allows attackers to exploit the lack of proper clickjacking protection mechanisms, potentially enabling unauthorized actions through maliciously crafted web pages that overlay legitimate administrative interfaces. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on HPE storage solutions for their data center infrastructure, where the Matrix Operating Environment serves as the primary management platform for storage provisioning and monitoring operations.
The technical implementation of this clickjacking vulnerability stems from insufficient implementation of the X-Frame-Options header or similar frame-busting techniques within the web application's HTTP response headers. When users navigate to the HPE Matrix Operating Environment administrative interface, the application fails to properly restrict its content from being embedded within iframe elements of other web pages. This absence of frame protection mechanisms creates a pathway for attackers to construct malicious web pages that display the legitimate administrative interface overlaid with deceptive content, tricking users into performing unintended actions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the administrative functions of the Matrix Operating Environment, potentially allowing attackers to execute privileged operations without proper authentication or authorization, as the underlying session remains active and authenticated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple web interface manipulation, representing a serious threat to enterprise storage security and data integrity. Organizations utilizing HPE Matrix Operating Environment may face unauthorized access to critical storage management functions, including but not limited to volume provisioning, configuration changes, and access control modifications. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to perform actions such as creating new storage volumes, modifying existing configurations, or even deleting critical storage resources, all while appearing to be legitimate administrative users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where the administrative interface is accessible from untrusted networks or where users may be susceptible to social engineering attacks that could lead to exploitation of this clickjacking flaw.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-8971 should prioritize immediate implementation of proper frame protection mechanisms within the affected HPE Matrix Operating Environment. Organizations must ensure that all web applications within the Matrix Operating Environment implement robust X-Frame-Options headers set to DENY or SAMEORIGIN values, preventing unauthorized embedding of the application interface in external frames. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers with frame-ancestors directives provides an additional layer of protection against clickjacking attacks. The recommended approach includes upgrading to the latest version of HPE Matrix Operating Environment that includes patches addressing this vulnerability, as well as implementing network segmentation to restrict access to the administrative interface to trusted networks only. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive penetration testing to verify that all web interfaces within the storage management environment properly implement clickjacking protection mechanisms. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-1021, which specifically addresses insufficient protection against clickjacking attacks, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1211 for the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing user awareness training to prevent social engineering attacks that could exploit this vulnerability, as well as establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts to storage management interfaces.