CVE-2018-7496 in PI Vision_
Summary
by MITRE
An Information Exposure issue was discovered in OSIsoft PI Vision versions 2017 and prior. The server response header and referrer-policy response header each provide unintended information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7496 represents an information exposure flaw within OSIsoft PI Vision versions 2017 and earlier, constituting a significant security concern that undermines the confidentiality of system information. This issue manifests through the server response headers and referrer-policy response headers, which inadvertently reveal sensitive metadata about the underlying system infrastructure and configuration details. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of information disclosure weaknesses that can provide attackers with valuable reconnaissance data for planning more sophisticated attacks against the affected environment.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from improper header configuration within the web server implementation used by PI Vision. When the server processes requests, it includes specific response headers that contain version information, server identifiers, and potentially other system characteristics that should remain hidden from external observers. The server response header typically contains details about the web server software, while the referrer-policy header may disclose information about the application's navigation behavior and potential internal URL structures. These headers, when improperly configured, can expose version numbers, operating system details, and other metadata that provides attackers with insights into the system's architecture and potential attack vectors.
From an operational impact perspective, this information exposure vulnerability creates multiple security risks for organizations utilizing affected PI Vision versions. Attackers can leverage the disclosed information to identify specific software versions and potentially discover known vulnerabilities associated with those versions. The exposure of server identifiers and version information enables threat actors to tailor their attack strategies more effectively, potentially leading to successful exploitation of other vulnerabilities that may exist in the same software stack. Additionally, the disclosure of referrer-policy information can reveal internal navigation patterns and potentially expose sensitive internal URLs or application paths that could serve as targets for further reconnaissance or exploitation attempts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability by properly configuring server response headers to remove or obscure sensitive information. The recommended approach involves modifying the web server configuration to either remove the problematic headers entirely or sanitize their content to prevent information disclosure. Security teams should conduct comprehensive header audits across all web applications and services to identify similar exposure issues throughout their infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses information exposure, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in security configuration management. The issue also relates to ATT&CK technique T1082, which involves system information discovery, as the exposed headers can be leveraged by attackers to gather system characteristics and build more effective attack strategies against the target environment.
The remediation process requires careful attention to ensure that header configurations maintain proper functionality while eliminating the information disclosure aspects. Organizations should establish security baseline configurations for all web servers that explicitly define which headers should be included and what information they should contain. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify any new or previously undiscovered header-based information exposures. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper security hardening practices and demonstrates how seemingly minor configuration issues can create significant security risks. Implementation of automated header validation tools and continuous monitoring of web server responses can help prevent similar issues from occurring in the future while maintaining the operational integrity of the affected systems.