Aruba Airwave all versions up to, but not including, 8.2.3.1 is vulnerable to an XML external entities (XXE). XXEs are a way to permit XML parsers to access storage that exist on external systems. If an unprivileged user is permitted to control the contents of XML files, XXE can be used as an attack vector. Because the XML parser has access to the local filesystem and runs with the permissions of the web server, it can access any file that is readable by the web server and copy it to an external system of the attackers choosing. This could include files that contain passwords, which could then lead to privilege escalation.
The product processes an XML document that can contain XML entities with URIs that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product to embed incorrect documents into its output.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airwave | Hp | * | 8.2.3.1 (excluding) |
XML documents optionally contain a Document Type Definition (DTD), which, among other features, enables the definition of XML entities. It is possible to define an entity by providing a substitution string in the form of a URI. The XML parser can access the contents of this URI and embed these contents back into the XML document for further processing. By submitting an XML file that defines an external entity with a file:// URI, an attacker can cause the processing application to read the contents of a local file. For example, a URI such as “file:///c:/winnt/win.ini” designates (in Windows) the file C:\Winnt\win.ini, or file:///etc/passwd designates the password file in Unix-based systems. Using URIs with other schemes such as http://, the attacker can force the application to make outgoing requests to servers that the attacker cannot reach directly, which can be used to bypass firewall restrictions or hide the source of attacks such as port scanning. Once the content of the URI is read, it is fed back into the application that is processing the XML. This application may echo back the data (e.g. in an error message), thereby exposing the file contents.