CVE-2004-1486 in Serviceguard
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in Serviceguard A.11.13 through A.11.16.00 and Cluster Object Manager A.01.03 and B.01.04 through B.03.00.01 on HP-UX, Serviceguard A.11.14.04 and A.11.15.04 and Cluster Object Manager B.02.01.02 and B.02.02.02 on HP Linux, allow remote attackers to gain privileges via unknown attack vectors.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2019
This vulnerability resides within HP Serviceguard and Cluster Object Manager software components running on HP-UX and HP Linux operating systems. The affected versions span multiple release lines including Serviceguard A.11.13 through A.11.16.00 and Cluster Object Manager A.01.03 through B.03.00.01 on HP-UX platforms, alongside Serviceguard A.11.14.04 and A.11.15.04 with Cluster Object Manager B.02.01.02 and B.02.02.02 on HP Linux systems. The vulnerability classification as unknown attack vectors indicates a lack of specific technical details in the original CVE description, suggesting either incomplete disclosure or a complex exploit mechanism that was not fully documented at the time of reporting.
The core technical flaw represents a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows remote attackers to gain elevated system privileges without proper authentication or authorization. This type of vulnerability typically stems from improper access controls, insufficient input validation, or flawed security mechanisms within the service management infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack vector suggests that exploitation can occur over network connections without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for distributed environments. The vulnerability affects the underlying cluster management functionality that governs high-availability services and system coordination, potentially compromising the entire fault-tolerant infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to threaten the fundamental integrity and availability of high-availability systems. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability could gain administrative control over critical infrastructure components, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or service disruption. The affected systems typically operate in mission-critical environments where cluster integrity is paramount, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise deployments. The remote attack capability means that adversaries could target these systems from external networks, potentially compromising entire clusters or data centers that rely on Serviceguard and Cluster Object Manager for high-availability services.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch application from HP, as the vulnerability affects core system management components. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to these critical systems, particularly disabling unnecessary remote access to cluster management interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and potentially CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials) if the flaw involves hardcoded authentication mechanisms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) and T1566 (Phishing for Information) if attackers use social engineering to gain initial access before exploiting the privilege escalation. System administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of their cluster management configurations, implement network monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns, and establish robust patch management processes to address similar vulnerabilities in the future. The lack of specific attack vector details in the original description underscores the importance of proactive security measures and regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate unknown weaknesses in critical infrastructure components.