CVE-2017-3961 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

McAfee Network Security Management (NSM) before 8.2.7.42.2 is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, allowing authenticated users to inject arbitrary HTML code.

Understanding CVE-2017-3961

This CVE involves a Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability in McAfee Network Security Management (NSM) versions prior to 8.2.7.42.2.

What is CVE-2017-3961?

CVE-2017-3961 is a security vulnerability in the web interface of McAfee NSM that enables authenticated users to execute XSS attacks by injecting malicious HTML code.

The Impact of CVE-2017-3961

The vulnerability poses a low severity risk with a CVSS base score of 3.5. It requires high privileges and user interaction, potentially leading to unauthorized data manipulation.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-3961

This section provides in-depth technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The XSS vulnerability in McAfee NSM allows attackers to insert arbitrary HTML code into the web interface by manipulating user input attributes.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: McAfee
Product: Network Security Management (NSM)
Versions Affected: < 8.2.7.42.2
Platforms: x86

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
CVSS Score: 3.5 (Low)

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2017-3961 with the following measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update McAfee NSM to version 8.2.7.42.2 or higher.
Monitor user input for suspicious HTML code.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security training to educate users on safe web practices.
Implement content security policies to mitigate XSS risks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates from McAfee.