CVE-2018-17447 in SD-WAN
Summary
by MITRE
An Information Exposure Through Log Files issue was discovered in Citrix SD-WAN 10.1.0 and NetScaler SD-WAN 9.3.x before 9.3.6 and 10.0.x before 10.0.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-17447 represents a significant information exposure risk within Citrix SD-WAN and NetScaler SD-WAN products, specifically affecting versions prior to 9.3.6 and 10.0.4. This issue stems from improper handling of sensitive data within log files, creating potential avenues for unauthorized information disclosure that could compromise network security posture. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on Citrix SD-WAN solutions for their wide area network management and optimization needs.
The technical flaw manifests when the affected SD-WAN appliances log sensitive information without proper sanitization or obfuscation mechanisms. This includes credentials, session tokens, network configuration details, and potentially other confidential operational data that should remain protected within the system's internal logging mechanisms. The improper logging behavior allows attackers who gain access to system log files to extract valuable information that could be used for further exploitation or lateral movement within the network environment. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-209 category of "Information Exposure Through Log Files" which specifically addresses the risk of sensitive data being inadvertently exposed through logging mechanisms.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations utilizing Citrix SD-WAN solutions, as compromised log files could provide attackers with critical information needed to escalate privileges or conduct targeted attacks against the network infrastructure. The exposure of authentication credentials or session information in log files directly enables credential stuffing attacks, session hijacking, and other authentication bypass techniques that align with ATT&CK techniques such as T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing. Network administrators may unknowingly expose sensitive operational details that could reveal network topology, device configurations, or user access patterns that would otherwise remain confidential.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to the patched versions of Citrix SD-WAN 9.3.6 and NetScaler SD-WAN 10.0.4, as these releases contain proper log sanitization mechanisms that prevent sensitive data from being written to log files. Additional mitigations include implementing strict log file access controls, regularly monitoring log file permissions, and establishing automated log review processes that can detect anomalous data patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing log file encryption at rest and network segmentation to limit access to sensitive logging information. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure logging practices and proper information flow control within network infrastructure components, particularly in environments where multiple security domains intersect.