CVE-2004-0525 in Integrated Lights-Out
Summary
by MITRE
hp integrated lights-out (ilo) 1.10 and other versions before 1.55 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (hang) by accessing ilo using the tcp/ip reserved port zero.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0525 affects Hewlett Packard's Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) management interface version 1.10 and earlier versions up to 1.54. This represents a significant security flaw in remote management systems that are critical for enterprise server administration and monitoring. The iLO technology provides out-of-band management capabilities, allowing administrators to monitor and control servers remotely even when the operating system is unresponsive or offline. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could potentially disrupt critical infrastructure management functions.
The technical flaw stems from the iLO implementation's improper handling of TCP/IP connections on reserved port zero. When remote attackers attempt to establish a connection to the iLO interface using this specific port, the system enters an infinite loop or hangs state rather than properly rejecting the connection attempt. This behavior constitutes a classic denial-of-service vulnerability where legitimate service availability is compromised through malformed input or connection attempts. The vulnerability specifically exploits the protocol handling rather than cryptographic weaknesses or buffer overflows, making it particularly insidious as it doesn't require authentication or complex exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise enterprise infrastructure management capabilities. Organizations relying on iLO for server monitoring, remote diagnostics, and system administration could face significant operational challenges when the management interface becomes unresponsive. This affects not only the immediate availability of server management functions but also broader IT operations that depend on reliable out-of-band access. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor protocol handling issues can create substantial security risks in critical infrastructure components, particularly affecting the availability aspect of the CIA triad.
The remediation for this vulnerability requires updating the iLO firmware to version 1.55 or later, which includes proper handling of reserved port connections and appropriate rejection of malformed TCP/IP requests. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to this vulnerability while applying the firmware updates. From a security framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflow conditions, though in this case the issue manifests as improper input validation rather than buffer manipulation. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, highlighting how this flaw could be exploited as part of broader network disruption campaigns. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected iLO systems and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts, ensuring that remote management interfaces maintain proper protocol compliance and robust error handling mechanisms.