CVE-2017-17406 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2017-17406, discovered on December 13, 2017, exposes a critical vulnerability in NetGain Systems Enterprise Manager, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code without authentication. The flaw lies in the inadequate validation of user-supplied data, leading to the deserialization of untrusted data.

Understanding CVE-2017-17406

This CVE identifies a security weakness in NetGain Systems Enterprise Manager that permits the execution of arbitrary code by attackers without requiring authentication.

What is CVE-2017-17406?

The vulnerability in CVE-2017-17406 allows attackers to run arbitrary code on susceptible NetGain Enterprise Manager installations without the need for authentication. The flaw originates from an accessible RMI registry listening on TCP ports 1800 and 1850 by default, due to inadequate validation of user-provided data.

The Impact of CVE-2017-17406

Exploiting this vulnerability enables attackers to execute any code of their choice within the current process, posing a severe security risk to affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-17406

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE-2017-17406 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the failure to properly validate user-supplied data, leading to the deserialization of untrusted data, which can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: NetGain Systems Enterprise Manager
Vendor: NetGain Systems
Vulnerable Version: v7.2.586 build 877

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by leveraging the exposed RMI registry that listens on TCP ports 1800 and 1850 by default, allowing them to execute arbitrary code within the current process.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2017-17406 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-supplied patches promptly to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable systems.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to address security vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate weaknesses.
Educate users on security best practices to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches provided by NetGain Systems to address the CVE-2017-17406 vulnerability.