CVE-2022-44026 in nGeniusONE
Summary
by MITRE • 01/27/2023
An issue was discovered in NetScout nGeniusONE 6.3.2 before P10. It allows Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), issue 3 of 6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-44026 represents a reflected cross-site scripting flaw within NetScout nGeniusONE version 6.3.2 prior to patch level P10. This security weakness resides in the network monitoring and analysis platform that organizations use to diagnose and troubleshoot network performance issues. The nGeniusONE system serves as a critical component for network operations centers and IT teams responsible for maintaining network infrastructure health and security. The reflected XSS vulnerability specifically manifests in the application's handling of user input parameters that are not properly sanitized before being returned to users in HTTP responses.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the application fails to adequately validate or escape user-supplied input that is subsequently reflected back to the victim's browser. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when executed by a victim's browser, can perform unauthorized actions on behalf of the user. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is directly included in dynamically generated web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions within the context of the victim's session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it creates a vector for more sophisticated attacks within network monitoring environments. Network administrators who use nGeniusONE for critical infrastructure monitoring face potential exposure when attackers leverage this reflected XSS to compromise user sessions and gain unauthorized access to network diagnostic information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where network monitoring tools often contain sensitive operational data about network topology, performance metrics, and potential security threats. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to establish persistent access to network monitoring systems, potentially enabling them to observe network traffic patterns, identify security gaps, or manipulate monitoring data to hide malicious activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-44026 require immediate patch application to update nGeniusONE to version 6.3.2 P10 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to prevent reflected XSS attacks. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script payloads, input validation controls that sanitize all user-supplied data, and regular security assessments of web applications within the network monitoring infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for network monitoring tools, as these systems often contain privileged access to sensitive network information and represent attractive targets for adversaries seeking to establish persistent access to enterprise networks. Security teams should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege for network monitoring applications and conduct regular penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network infrastructure components. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1566 which covers initial access through social engineering techniques, and T1071 which covers application layer protocols, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the attack surface that such vulnerabilities create in network environments.