CVE-2018-7071 in Network Function Virtualization Director
Summary
by MITRE
HPE has identified a remote access to sensitive information vulnerability in HPE Network Function Virtualization Director (NFVD) 4.2.1 prior to gui patch 3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7071 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within HPE Network Function Virtualization Director version 4.2.1 before gui patch 3. This remote access vulnerability allows unauthorized attackers to gain access to sensitive information that should remain protected within the network function virtualization environment. The issue specifically affects the graphical user interface component of the NFVD platform, which serves as the primary management interface for virtualized network functions. Organizations utilizing this version of HPE NFVD are at significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited from remote locations without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where network functions are actively deployed and managed.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the NFVD's web interface implementation. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and demonstrates poor privilege separation in the application's security architecture. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input that flows into the application's sensitive data handling components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that bypass normal access controls and retrieve confidential information from the system. The flaw is particularly concerning because it affects the GUI management interface which typically contains administrative credentials, system configurations, network topology data, and other sensitive operational information that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7071 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the compromised data could enable further attacks within the network infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could obtain detailed information about virtualized network functions, their configurations, and underlying network topology, which would significantly aid in planning subsequent attacks. This information exposure creates opportunities for advanced persistent threats to establish footholds within the network and potentially escalate privileges to gain full administrative control over the virtualization platform. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the network or proximity to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments where network functions are exposed to external networks.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided gui patch 3 for HPE NFVD 4.2.1, which addresses the specific access control and input validation issues. System administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the NFVD management interface and deploy additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's persistence and credential access tactics. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their virtualization environments and review access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive management interfaces. Additionally, implementing network intrusion detection systems and logging mechanisms can help identify exploitation attempts and provide evidence for forensic analysis if the vulnerability is successfully targeted.