CVE-2019-9868 in NetBackup Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the Web Console in Veritas NetBackup Appliance through 3.1.2. The SMTP password is displayed to an administrator.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9868 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Veritas NetBackup Appliance web console interface. This issue affects versions through 3.1.2 and exposes sensitive authentication credentials to unauthorized users with administrative access to the system. The flaw manifests when the system displays the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol password in cleartext within the administrative interface, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this backup appliance solution. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the web console's user interface components.
This technical weakness directly violates several security principles and can be categorized under CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and CWE-312, which covers cleartext storage of sensitive data. The vulnerability enables an attacker with administrative privileges to obtain credentials without additional exploitation techniques, effectively bypassing normal authentication mechanisms. The exposed SMTP password represents a critical credential that could be leveraged for unauthorized email communication, potentially enabling further attacks through email-based phishing or command and control channels. The flaw exists within the application's user interface rendering logic where sensitive data is improperly sanitized before display.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate credential compromise, as it provides attackers with the means to conduct unauthorized email communications using the organization's backup infrastructure. This capability could enable attackers to send malicious emails, establish persistence through email-based attack vectors, or exfiltrate data through compromised email channels. Organizations utilizing Veritas NetBackup Appliance may face regulatory compliance violations due to the exposure of sensitive credentials, particularly in environments subject to data protection regulations such as gdpr, hipaa, or pci dss standards. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks, where attackers could use the exposed credentials to gain additional access to connected systems or services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-9868 should include immediate patching of affected Veritas NetBackup Appliance versions to the latest available release. Organizations should implement strict access controls and principle of least privilege for administrative accounts, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the web console. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to the appliance's administrative interfaces. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities within their backup infrastructure. The remediation process should include credential rotation for all SMTP configurations and implementation of secure credential management practices. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts to administrative interfaces, and organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access to further reduce the risk of credential compromise. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation within web applications, particularly those handling sensitive authentication data.