CVE-2020-15034 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 Monitoring-Setup.php tet parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-15034 affects NeDi version 1.9C, a network discovery and monitoring tool widely used in enterprise environments for network infrastructure management. This application serves as a critical component for network administrators to monitor device connectivity, performance metrics, and network topology. The security flaw manifests as a cross-site scripting vulnerability that specifically targets the Monitoring-Setup.php page and its tet parameter, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise network monitoring systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the Monitoring-Setup.php script. When the tet parameter receives user-supplied data without proper sanitization, the application fails to escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers who access the compromised page. The vulnerability follows the CWE-79 pattern for cross-site scripting, specifically categorized as reflected XSS since the malicious payload is reflected back to users through the application's response. The attack vector requires minimal user interaction as the malicious script executes automatically when victims navigate to the affected page or click on links containing the malicious payload.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the network monitoring context. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify network monitoring configurations, or even gain unauthorized access to network resources that are visible through the NeDi interface. This poses a significant risk to network security operations since the monitoring system itself becomes compromised, potentially allowing attackers to hide their presence or manipulate monitoring data to avoid detection. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of network monitoring information, undermining the trustworthiness of the security infrastructure that network administrators rely upon.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-15034 should prioritize immediate patching of the NeDi application to version 1.9D or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding fixes. Network administrators should implement additional defensive measures such as web application firewalls that can detect and block XSS payloads targeting the specific vulnerable parameter. Input validation should be strengthened to reject or sanitize any characters that could be used in script injection attempts, while output encoding should be implemented to ensure that all user-supplied data is properly escaped before being rendered in web pages. The principle of least privilege should be applied to limit access to the Monitoring-Setup.php page, restricting it to only authorized administrators. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their network monitoring tools and maintain up-to-date vulnerability management processes to prevent similar issues from arising in other components of their security infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through phishing and T1071 for application layer protocol usage, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of attacks targeting network monitoring systems.