CVE-2017-4928 : Security Advisory and Response

The vSphere Web Client by VMware has been identified with security vulnerabilities related to SSRF and CRLF injection, potentially leading to unauthorized information disclosure.

Understanding CVE-2017-4928

What is CVE-2017-4928?

The vSphere Web Client, based on Flash and lacking the newer HTML5-based vSphere Client, is susceptible to SSRF and CRLF injection due to URL mishandling, allowing attackers to exploit these flaws for unauthorized data access.

The Impact of CVE-2017-4928

These vulnerabilities could enable attackers to send manipulated POST requests with altered headers to internal services, potentially resulting in the disclosure of sensitive information.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-4928

Vulnerability Description

The flash-based vSphere Web Client versions 6.0 prior to 6.0 U3c and 5.5 prior to 5.5 U3f are affected by SSRF and CRLF injection issues stemming from improper URL handling.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: vSphere Web Client
Vendor: VMware
Affected Versions: 6.0 prior to 6.0 U3c, 5.5 prior to 5.5 U3f

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities by sending POST requests with modified headers to internal services, potentially leading to unauthorized information disclosure.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by VMware promptly.
Implement network segmentation to restrict access to vulnerable systems.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and applications.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the vSphere Web Client is updated to versions 6.0 U3c or later and 5.5 U3f or later to mitigate the SSRF and CRLF injection vulnerabilities.