CVE-2019-5501 in Data Ontap
Summary
by MITRE
Data ONTAP operating in 7-Mode versions prior to 8.2.5P3 may disclose sensitive LDAP account information to unauthenticated remote attackers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-5501 affects Data ONTAP operating in 7-Mode configurations prior to version 8.2.5P3, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive LDAP account credentials to unauthorized remote attackers. This vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the LDAP integration framework of the storage operating system, allowing malicious actors to retrieve privileged account information without requiring valid credentials or prior access to the system. The flaw specifically impacts organizations utilizing older 7-Mode storage environments where LDAP authentication is configured for user management and access control.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the improper handling of LDAP query responses within the Data ONTAP 7-Mode architecture. When the system processes LDAP authentication requests or directory queries, it fails to adequately sanitize or restrict the information returned to external parties. This occurs due to inadequate input validation and output filtering mechanisms that allow sensitive attributes such as user credentials, group memberships, and authentication tokens to be exposed through network responses. The vulnerability manifests when remote attackers send crafted LDAP queries or exploit existing LDAP service endpoints, triggering the system to return detailed account information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise storage security infrastructure, particularly in environments where LDAP integration is used for centralized user management and authentication. Attackers exploiting this flaw can potentially gain comprehensive knowledge of the organization's LDAP directory structure, including valid user accounts, group affiliations, and credential information that could facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, or credential harvesting. The impact extends beyond immediate information disclosure as compromised LDAP credentials could enable attackers to access other systems that rely on the same authentication infrastructure, creating cascading security implications throughout the enterprise network.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to Data ONTAP 8.2.5P3 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed through enhanced LDAP response filtering and authentication controls. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enforced to limit exposure of LDAP services to trusted networks only, while implementing strict firewall rules to restrict LDAP query access. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous LDAP query patterns and unauthorized access attempts, with regular audits of LDAP configuration settings to ensure proper access controls are maintained. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing, as compromised credentials could enable further exploitation of the network infrastructure.