CVE-2008-5035 in Hardware Management Console
Summary
by MITRE
The Resource Monitoring and Control (RMC) daemon in IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) 7 release 3.2.0 SP1 and 3.3.0 SP2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash or hang) via a packet with an invalid length.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5035 affects the Resource Monitoring and Control daemon within IBM Hardware Management Console version 7 release 3.2.0 SP1 and 3.3.0 SP2. This daemon serves as a critical component responsible for monitoring and controlling hardware resources within IBM's hardware management infrastructure, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt system operations. The flaw exists in how the RMC daemon processes incoming network packets, specifically failing to properly validate packet length parameters before processing them.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the daemon's packet handling routines. When malformed packets containing invalid length fields are transmitted to the RMC daemon, the system fails to properly sanitize these inputs before attempting to process them. This lack of proper validation creates a condition where the daemon becomes susceptible to malformed data that can trigger unexpected behavior, ultimately leading to daemon crashes or system hangs. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level, exploiting weaknesses in the daemon's robustness and error handling capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can effectively render the hardware management console ineffective for its intended monitoring and control functions. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the HMC is accessible to untrusted parties. The denial of service condition can persist for extended periods, potentially causing significant operational disruptions for system administrators who rely on the HMC for critical infrastructure monitoring. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and reliability of hardware management operations, potentially leaving systems vulnerable to other attacks during the downtime period.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to the HMC daemon, deployment of network intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious packet patterns, and application-level filtering to prevent malformed packets from reaching the vulnerable daemon. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input length, and represents a classic example of how inadequate input sanitization can lead to denial of service conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, where attackers leverage application-level flaws to compromise system availability. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions to detect abnormal daemon behavior and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing such availability threats.