CVE-2009-2680 in Storageworks Msl4048 Tape Library
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Remote Management Interface (RMI) for MSL Tape Libraries and 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloaders in HP StorageWorks 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader firmware 2.30 and earlier, MSL2024 Tape Library firmware 4.20 and earlier, MSL4048 Tape Library firmware 6.50 and earlier, and MSL8096 Tape Library firmware 8.90 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2680 affects HP StorageWorks tape library systems including the MSL2024, MSL4048, and MSL8096 models with specific firmware versions. This represents a critical security flaw within the Remote Management Interface component that governs remote administration capabilities for these storage devices. The affected systems operate with firmware versions 2.30 and earlier for 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloaders, 4.20 and earlier for MSL2024 Tape Libraries, 6.50 and earlier for MSL4048 Tape Libraries, and 8.90 and earlier for MSL8096 Tape Libraries. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors indicates that attackers could exploit multiple potential attack surfaces within the RMI implementation without clear disclosure of specific technical details.
The technical flaw resides within the Remote Management Interface functionality that enables administrators to manage these tape storage systems remotely. This interface typically handles network communications, authentication processes, and system control commands that are essential for managing tape library operations. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute denial of service conditions against these systems, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing or managing their tape storage infrastructure. The impact manifests as system unavailability, which can disrupt critical backup operations and data recovery procedures that organizations rely upon for business continuity.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations utilizing HP tape storage solutions, particularly those with remote management capabilities enabled. The denial of service condition can result in complete system incapacitation, preventing administrators from performing routine maintenance, monitoring system status, or executing critical backup and recovery operations. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the systems, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where these devices are accessible over network connections. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially compromise data protection strategies and disaster recovery plans that depend on these tape libraries remaining operational.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, where such issues typically map to CWE-119 insufficient input validation or CWE-120 buffer overflow conditions that can lead to system instability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a denial of service attack pattern, specifically targeting system availability through manipulation of network interfaces or management protocols. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates to supported versions, network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces, and disabling unnecessary remote management capabilities. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current firmware versions and implementing robust network security controls around critical storage infrastructure to prevent unauthorized access and exploitation of management interfaces.