CVE-2019-3597 in Network Security Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Authentication Bypass vulnerability in McAfee Network Security Manager (NSM) 9.1 < 9.1.7.75.2 and 9.2 < 9.2.7.31 (9.2 Update 2) allows unauthenticated users to gain administrator rights via incorrect handling of expired GUI sessions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-3597 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within McAfee Network Security Manager versions prior to specific patch releases. This issue affects both the 9.1.x series through 9.1.7.75.2 and the 9.2.x series through 9.2.7.31, including the 9.2 Update 2 release. The flaw stems from improper session management mechanisms that fail to correctly validate the authenticity of user credentials during the graphical user interface interaction process. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system attempts to handle expired graphical user interface sessions, creating a window where unauthorized individuals can exploit the system's session handling logic to assume administrative privileges without proper authentication.
This authentication bypass vulnerability operates through a session management weakness that allows attackers to manipulate the state of expired user sessions within the McAfee NSM interface. The technical implementation flaw involves the application's failure to properly invalidate session tokens or verify session legitimacy when users attempt to access administrative functions after their sessions have expired. This misconfiguration creates a persistent security gap where the system continues to accept requests from expired sessions, effectively allowing unauthenticated access to administrative functions that should require proper authentication. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe as it directly undermines the fundamental security principle of access control, enabling attackers to escalate privileges without knowledge of valid credentials or legitimate access paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass complete administrative control over the affected McAfee Network Security Manager installations. Attackers exploiting this flaw can perform any administrative function including but not limited to modifying security policies, adding or removing users, configuring network rules, accessing sensitive system information, and potentially disrupting network security operations. This vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations that rely on McAfee NSM for network security management, as it allows attackers to bypass the security controls designed to protect critical network infrastructure. The implications are particularly concerning in enterprise environments where NSM is used to monitor and control network traffic, as unauthorized access could enable attackers to modify security policies or create backdoors for continued access.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of the vendor-provided patches for both the 9.1.7.75.2 and 9.2.7.31 versions. The mitigation strategy should include implementing network segmentation to limit access to NSM administrative interfaces, enforcing strict access controls, and monitoring for suspicious authentication attempts or administrative activities. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and establish robust logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework category T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing attacks, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access through legitimate administrative accounts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper session management and authentication validation in security-critical applications, particularly those handling sensitive network security functions.