CVE-2020-15029 in NeDi
Summary
by MITRE
NeDi 1.9C is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS) attack. The application allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript code via the Assets-Management.php sn parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-15029 affects NeDi version 1.9C, a network discovery and monitoring tool that provides asset management capabilities for network infrastructure. This particular flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that undermines the application's security posture and potentially exposes users to malicious code execution. The vulnerability specifically resides within the Assets-Management.php component of the application, where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web responses. This allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code through the sn parameter, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected page.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or escaping. The sn parameter serves as the attack vector, accepting input that flows directly into the application's output without adequate sanitization measures. When an unsuspecting user accesses the Assets-Management.php page with malicious input in the sn parameter, the JavaScript code becomes embedded within the page's HTML structure and executes within the user's browser context. This creates a persistent threat where the malicious code can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or manipulating the application interface to deceive users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the network monitoring environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains the ability to manipulate network asset data, potentially altering device information or creating false alerts that could mislead network administrators. The attack requires minimal sophistication to execute, as it relies on users visiting the vulnerable page with maliciously crafted parameters, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators access the same monitoring system. This vulnerability could be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors to establish a foothold within the network infrastructure that NeDi is designed to monitor and protect.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-15029 should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding measures to prevent malicious code from being executed. The primary fix involves implementing proper sanitization of the sn parameter within Assets-Management.php, ensuring that all user-supplied input is validated against expected formats and that any potentially dangerous characters are properly escaped or removed before being rendered in web responses. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to limit the execution of inline scripts and restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Additionally, regular security updates and patches should be applied to maintain the application's security posture, as this vulnerability represents a known weakness that has likely been addressed in newer versions of NeDi. The remediation process should also include user education to raise awareness about the risks of visiting untrusted links or pages that may contain malicious parameters, as social engineering remains a critical component of successful exploitation attempts.