CVE-2017-9295 in Device Manager
Summary
by MITRE
XXE vulnerability in Hitachi Device Manager before 8.5.2-01 and Hitachi Replication Manager before 8.5.2-00 allows authenticated remote users to read arbitrary files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2020
The CVE-2017-9295 vulnerability represents a critical XML External Entity processing flaw discovered in Hitachi Device Manager and Hitachi Replication Manager software versions prior to 8.5.2-01 and 8.5.2-00 respectively. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-611 category, which specifically addresses XML external entity processing issues that can lead to unauthorized data access and system compromise. The flaw exists in the way these storage management applications handle XML input processing, particularly when parsing configuration files or user-supplied data that may contain external entity references.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows authenticated remote attackers to exploit the XXE processing mechanism by crafting malicious XML payloads that reference external entities. When the vulnerable applications process these XML inputs, they inadvertently resolve external entity references and can be made to access arbitrary files on the underlying file system. This occurs because the XML parsers used by these applications do not properly restrict external entity resolution or disable external entity processing entirely. Attackers can leverage this capability to read sensitive files such as configuration data, system credentials, or other confidential information stored on the server hosting the Hitachi management applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-9295 is significant for organizations relying on Hitachi storage management solutions, as it provides a direct pathway for authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges and access sensitive system information. The vulnerability specifically affects environments where these management applications are exposed to untrusted networks or where authentication credentials may be compromised. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker does not need physical access to the system, and the authenticated requirement reduces the attack surface compared to fully unauthenticated exploits. However, the impact remains severe as it can lead to complete system compromise and data exfiltration. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for malicious file execution through XML processing.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patches for Hitachi Device Manager version 8.5.2-01 and Hitachi Replication Manager version 8.5.2-00 to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should configure the XML parsers used by these applications to disable external entity processing entirely and implement proper input validation mechanisms. Network segmentation should be enforced to limit access to these management applications to trusted networks only, and monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual XML processing activities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper XML security controls as recommended by OWASP and other security frameworks to prevent similar issues in future development cycles.