CVE-2017-9978 in QuantaStor
Summary
by MITRE
On the OSNEXUS QuantaStor v4 virtual appliance before 4.3.1, a flaw was found with the error message sent as a response for users that don't exist on the system. An attacker could leverage this information to fine-tune and enumerate valid accounts on the system by searching for common usernames.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9978 affects the OSNEXUS QuantaStor v4 virtual appliance running versions prior to 4.3.1, representing a critical security flaw in the system's authentication response handling mechanism. This issue stems from the appliance's improper error message generation when processing authentication requests for non-existent user accounts, creating an information disclosure vulnerability that directly enables account enumeration attacks.
The technical flaw manifests in the system's response behavior during authentication attempts, where the appliance provides distinguishable error messages for valid versus invalid usernames. When an attacker submits a username that does not exist in the system, the appliance returns a specific error response that differs from the response generated when a valid username is provided but an incorrect password is submitted. This differential response allows malicious actors to systematically test common usernames and identify which ones are valid accounts within the system, effectively bypassing traditional brute force protection mechanisms.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-200, Information Exposure, and falls under the ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it enables adversaries to acquire legitimate credentials through account enumeration. The operational impact of this flaw extends beyond simple reconnaissance, as it provides attackers with a foundation for more sophisticated attacks including credential stuffing, password spraying, and subsequent privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where the appliance serves as a storage management platform, as it could provide unauthorized access to critical data infrastructure.
The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed through automated tools that systematically test username patterns, making it highly accessible to threat actors across different skill levels. Organizations using affected versions of QuantaStor are at significant risk of unauthorized account discovery, which could lead to further compromise of the storage infrastructure and potential data breaches. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the appliance's security design philosophy, where the system's response behavior inadvertently reveals sensitive information about its internal user management structure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing consistent error messaging across all authentication responses, ensuring that both valid and invalid username attempts generate identical error responses to prevent account enumeration. System administrators should immediately upgrade to QuantaStor v4.3.1 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed. Additional defensive measures include implementing rate limiting for authentication attempts, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious authentication patterns, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities in other system components. The fix typically involves modifying the authentication module to normalize error responses regardless of whether the username exists in the system, thereby eliminating the information leakage that enables account enumeration attacks.