CVE-2019-16205 in SANnav
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability, in Brocade SANnav versions before v2.0, could allow remote attackers to brute-force a valid session ID. The vulnerability is due to an insufficiently random session ID for several post-authentication actions in the SANnav portal.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-16205 affects Brocade SANnav versions prior to v2.0 and represents a critical session management flaw that undermines the security posture of storage network management interfaces. This weakness stems from inadequate entropy in the session identifier generation process, creating predictable authentication tokens that can be systematically guessed or enumerated by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically impacts post-authentication actions within the SANnav portal, meaning that even after successful authentication, users remain exposed to session hijacking attacks through brute force techniques targeting session identifiers.
From a technical perspective, the flaw manifests as insufficient randomness in session ID generation, which directly maps to CWE-330 Use of Insufficiently Random Values. This weakness allows attackers to perform systematic guessing attacks against session tokens, potentially leading to unauthorized access to administrative functions within the storage network management system. The predictable nature of these identifiers enables attackers to exploit the vulnerability without requiring prior knowledge of valid credentials, as they can focus their efforts on cracking the session tokens themselves. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in network storage environments where SANnav is used for critical infrastructure management, as successful exploitation could grant attackers full administrative control over storage networks.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple unauthorized access, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for extended attacks within storage networks. Attackers can maintain prolonged access to storage management functions, potentially leading to data manipulation, network disruption, or even complete system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it represents a vector where attackers can gain persistent access through session hijacking rather than traditional credential compromise. The security implications are compounded by the fact that SANnav is typically deployed in enterprise environments where storage networks contain sensitive and critical data, making the potential impact of session hijacking attacks particularly damaging.
Organizations utilizing Brocade SANnav prior to version 2.0 should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched version that addresses the insufficient session ID randomness issue. Additional protective measures should include implementing session timeout mechanisms, enforcing strong session management policies, and deploying network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous session activity. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper cryptographic implementation in authentication systems and demonstrates the critical need for entropy validation in session identifier generation. Security teams should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms as additional protection layers, as the vulnerability's exploitation does not require complex attack chains but rather relies on predictable token generation patterns that can be systematically overcome through brute force techniques.