CVE-2018-6681 in Network Security Management
Summary
by MITRE
Abuse of Functionality vulnerability in the web interface in McAfee Network Security Management (NSM) 9.1.7.11 and earlier allows authenticated users to allow arbitrary HTML code to be reflected in the response web page via appliance web interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6681 represents a critical abuse of functionality flaw within McAfee Network Security Management version 9.1.7.11 and earlier releases. This issue resides within the web interface component of the network security management system, which is designed to provide administrators with centralized control over network security policies and monitoring capabilities. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web responses. Attackers who have gained legitimate authentication credentials can exploit this weakness to inject malicious HTML content into the web interface, potentially enabling various forms of cross-site scripting attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) conditions where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate sanitization or encoding. This particular implementation flaw allows authenticated users to manipulate the web interface by submitting HTML code through input fields or parameters that are then reflected back in the server responses. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected web pages, creating a vector for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-6681 extends beyond simple code injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the web interface in ways that could compromise network security monitoring capabilities. An attacker with valid credentials could potentially alter the display of security alerts, modify configuration parameters, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate within the NSM interface. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on the web interface for day-to-day network security management operations, as it undermines the integrity of the administrative interface that should remain secure and trusted. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication credentials rather than elevated privileges, making it accessible to users who have legitimate access to the system but could misuse their privileges.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all web interface components, particularly those that handle user-supplied data. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against reflected XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in web applications, and access controls should be strictly enforced to limit user privileges based on the principle of least privilege. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns that could exploit this and similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include upgrading to McAfee NSM versions that have addressed this specific vulnerability, as well as conducting thorough security reviews of all web interface components to ensure no similar weaknesses exist in the broader system architecture. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive security data within enterprise network management systems.