CVE-2018-6449 in Fabric OS
Summary
by MITRE
Host Header Injection vulnerability in the http management interface in Brocade Fabric OS versions before v9.0.0 could allow a remote attacker to exploit this vulnerability by injecting arbitrary HTTP headers
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2020
The CVE-2018-6449 vulnerability represents a critical host header injection flaw within the http management interface of Brocade Fabric OS software versions prior to v9.0.0. This vulnerability falls under the category of insecure input handling and specifically manifests as a weakness in the HTTP protocol implementation where the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied host headers. The issue stems from the software's failure to properly process or validate the host header parameter in HTTP requests, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTTP headers into the application's response processing chain. This weakness is particularly dangerous in network infrastructure management interfaces where administrative access is required to perform critical operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious HTTP requests containing specially formatted host headers that bypass normal input validation mechanisms. The injected headers can manipulate the application's behavior in several ways including redirecting users to malicious sites, modifying response headers, or potentially enabling further attacks such as cross-site scripting or session hijacking. The vulnerability exists because the management interface does not properly sanitize or validate the host header parameter before processing it, creating an injection vector that can be leveraged to manipulate the application's response handling. This flaw is classified as a CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, which is a fundamental security weakness that allows malicious input to influence application behavior. The attack surface is particularly significant given that the affected software is designed for network fabric management where administrative access is required for critical infrastructure operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple header injection to potentially compromise the entire management interface of Brocade Fabric OS installations. Remote attackers could exploit this weakness to redirect administrative users to phishing sites, manipulate authentication flows, or even inject malicious content into management responses. This creates a severe risk for network administrators who rely on the integrity of the management interface for critical infrastructure operations. The vulnerability affects organizations using Brocade Fabric OS versions before v9.0.0, which includes a wide range of network fabric switches and storage area network components. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring any prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous for network environments where management interfaces are exposed to untrusted networks. The implications are further amplified when considering that many organizations maintain these management interfaces accessible over the internet for remote administration purposes, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by threat actors globally.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement several mitigation strategies to protect their network infrastructure. The primary recommendation is to upgrade to Brocade Fabric OS version 9.0.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the host header injection vulnerability. Additionally, network administrators should implement proper input validation at the network level using firewalls and intrusion prevention systems to detect and block suspicious host header values. The implementation of HTTP header sanitization measures and strict validation of all incoming host headers can provide additional protection layers. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces and ensure that only trusted administrative workstations can reach these critical systems. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1190: Exploit Public-Facing Application indicates that this represents a common attack vector used by adversaries targeting network infrastructure, making immediate remediation essential for maintaining operational security. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potential injection vulnerabilities within the network infrastructure stack.