CVE-2018-6447 in Fabric OS
Summary
by MITRE
A Reflective XSS Vulnerability in HTTP Management Interface in Brocade Fabric OS versions before Brocade Fabric OS v9.0.0, v8.2.2c, v8.2.1e, v8.1.2k, v8.2.0_CBN3, v7.4.2g could allow authenticated attackers with access to the web interface to hijack a user’s session and take over the account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6447 represents a critical reflective cross-site scripting flaw within the HTTP management interface of Brocade Fabric OS networking equipment. This security weakness affects multiple versions of the Brocade Fabric OS software, specifically those prior to v9.0.0, v8.2.2c, v8.2.1e, v8.1.2k, v8.2.0_CBN3, and v7.4.2g, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on Brocade network infrastructure. The vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface that administrators use to configure and monitor fabric switch operations, making it particularly dangerous as it targets the very interface used for critical network management tasks.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the web interface components of the Brocade Fabric OS. When authenticated users interact with the management interface, the system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web responses. This reflective characteristic means that malicious input provided by an attacker is immediately reflected back to the victim's browser without proper sanitization, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the web interface components that handle user input and generate dynamic content for display in web browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft or display manipulation. Authenticated attackers with access to the web interface can exploit this flaw to hijack user sessions and gain full administrative control over the affected Brocade switches. This session hijacking capability allows attackers to impersonate legitimate users and perform unauthorized administrative actions, potentially leading to complete network compromise. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of the management interface, as it allows attackers to escalate privileges and maintain persistent access to critical network infrastructure. Organizations may experience unauthorized configuration changes, data exfiltration, network disruption, and potential lateral movement within their network environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for Brocade Fabric OS to address this vulnerability. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls, input validation rules, and enhanced monitoring of management interface access patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as it allows authenticated users to escalate their privileges through script injection attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation through web application exploitation, potentially enabling adversaries to establish persistent access to network infrastructure and maintain control over critical switching equipment. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning of network management interfaces should be conducted to identify similar issues and maintain robust security postures across all network infrastructure components.