CVE-2018-1183 : Security Advisory and Response

A vulnerability has been identified in various Dell EMC products, including Dell EMC Unisphere, Dell EMC Solutions Enabler, Dell EMC VASA Provider, Dell EMC SMIS, Dell EMC VMAX Embedded Management, Dell EMC VNX2 Operating Environment for File and Block, Dell EMC VNX1 Operating Environment for File and Block, Dell EMC VNXe3200 and VNXe1600 Operating Environment, Dell EMC VNXe 3100/3150/3300 Operating Environment, Dell EMC ViPR SRM, Dell EMC XtremIO, Dell EMC VMAX eNAS, and Dell EMC Unity Operating Environment. The vulnerability is related to a XXE injection issue, which occurs when an attacker manipulates the XML input to reference an external entity. Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files or cause denial-of-service attacks.

Understanding CVE-2018-1183

This section provides insights into the impact and technical details of CVE-2018-1183.

What is CVE-2018-1183?

CVE-2018-1183 is an XXE injection vulnerability affecting various Dell EMC products, allowing attackers to manipulate XML input to access unauthorized files or conduct denial-of-service attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2018-1183

Exploiting this vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to sensitive files or lead to denial-of-service attacks, posing a significant risk to the affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-1183

This section delves into the vulnerability description, affected systems, versions, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Dell EMC products is due to the configuration of the XML parser, enabling XXE injection attacks when processing XML input with references to external entities defined by attackers.

Affected Systems and Versions

Dell EMC Unisphere for VMAX Virtual Appliance versions prior to 8.4.0.8
Dell EMC Solutions Enabler Virtual Appliance versions prior to 8.4.0.8
Dell EMC VASA Provider Virtual Appliance versions prior to 8.4.0.512
Dell EMC SMIS versions prior to 8.4.0.6
Dell EMC VMAX Embedded Management versions prior to and including 1.4.0.347
Dell EMC VNX2 Operating Environment for File versions prior to 8.1.9.231
Dell EMC VNX2 Operating Environment for Block versions prior to 05.33.009.5.231
Dell EMC VNX1 Operating Environment for File versions prior to 7.1.82.0
Dell EMC VNX1 Operating Environment for Block versions prior to 05.32.000.5.225
Dell EMC VNXe3200 Operating Environment all versions
Dell EMC VNXe1600 Operating Environment versions prior to 3.1.9.9570228
Dell EMC VNXe 3100/3150/3300 Operating Environment all versions
Dell EMC ViPR SRM versions 3.7, 3.7.1, 3.7.2, 4.0, 4.0.1, 4.0.2, 4.0.3 (only if using Dell EMC Host Interface for Windows)
Dell EMC XtremIO versions 4.x
Dell EMC VMAX eNAS version 8.x
Dell EMC Unity Operating Environment versions prior to 4.3.0.1522077968

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the XXE injection vulnerability by crafting XML input with malicious external entity references, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive files or causing denial-of-service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Learn how to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2018-1183.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Dell EMC for the affected products and versions.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Monitor and analyze XML input for suspicious patterns that may indicate XXE injection attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware to address known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security training for personnel to raise awareness of XXE injection and other common attack vectors.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates from Dell EMC to promptly address emerging threats and vulnerabilities.