CVE-2019-12864 in Orion Platform
Summary
by MITRE
SolarWinds Orion Platform 2018.4 HF3 (NPM 12.4, NetPath 1.1.4) is vulnerable to Information Leakage, because of improper error handling with stack traces, as demonstrated by discovering a full pathname upon a 500 Internal Server Error via the api2/swis/query?lang=en-us&swAlertOnError=false query parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-12864 affects the SolarWinds Orion Platform version 2018.4 HF3, specifically impacting Network Performance Monitor NPM 12.4 and NetPath 1.1.4 components. This issue represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that arises from inadequate error handling mechanisms within the web application framework. The flaw manifests when the system encounters an internal server error, typically resulting in a 500 Internal Server Error response that inadvertently exposes sensitive system information through stack trace details.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the platform's failure to properly sanitize error responses, particularly when processing API requests through the swis/query endpoint. When a request is made to api2/swis/query with parameters including lang=en-us and swAlertOnError=false, the system's improper error handling causes it to return detailed stack trace information along with the full pathname of the affected system directory. This occurs because the application does not implement proper error suppression or logging mechanisms that would prevent sensitive filesystem information from being exposed to unauthorized users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations utilizing SolarWinds Orion Platform as it enables attackers to gain insights into the underlying system architecture and file system structure. The exposure of full pathnames provides attackers with crucial information that can be leveraged for further exploitation attempts, including directory traversal attacks, privilege escalation, or targeted attacks against specific system components. The vulnerability essentially acts as a reconnaissance tool for threat actors, allowing them to map the internal structure of the affected systems and identify potential attack vectors.
The impact of this information leakage extends beyond simple reconnaissance as it aligns with multiple cybersecurity frameworks and threat models. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-209, which specifically addresses "Information Exposure Through an Error Message," while also relating to CWE-359, "Exposure of Private Information ('Privacy Leak')". From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability supports initial access and reconnaissance phases by providing attackers with system information that would otherwise require more sophisticated discovery techniques. The exposure of system paths and stack traces can facilitate more advanced attack vectors including code injection, privilege escalation, and system compromise attempts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the configuration of proper error handling mechanisms that suppress detailed stack traces and pathname information in error responses. The platform should be updated to versions that address this vulnerability through proper input validation and error handling procedures. Security configurations should enforce strict error message sanitization, ensuring that all error responses contain generic messages without exposing system-specific details. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect and alert on unusual error response patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments should be conducted to verify that error handling configurations remain effective against similar vulnerabilities.