CVE-2010-3004 in Operations Agent
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP Operations Agent 7.36 and 8.6 on Windows allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3004 represents a critical security flaw within HP Operations Agent versions 7.36 and 8.6 running on Windows operating systems. This unspecified vulnerability creates a potential remote code execution pathway that could be exploited by malicious actors without requiring authentication or local system access. The HP Operations Agent serves as a monitoring and management tool that collects system information and facilitates remote administration of enterprise environments, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking persistent access to network infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, though such obscurity typically suggests a severe flaw in the agent's input validation or memory handling processes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common remote code execution flaws that typically stem from buffer overflows, format string vulnerabilities, or improper input sanitization within network-facing components. According to CWE classification, such vulnerabilities often map to categories including CWE-119 for memory corruption issues or CWE-78 for command injection problems. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that HP Operations Agent typically operates with elevated privileges to perform system monitoring tasks, potentially allowing an attacker to gain administrative control over affected systems. The Windows environment further compounds the risk as the agent may be configured to run with system-level permissions, providing attackers with direct access to critical system resources and potential lateral movement capabilities.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise security postures as HP Operations Agent installations are commonly deployed across critical infrastructure components. Attackers could leverage this flaw to establish persistent backdoors, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malware payloads without detection. The remote exploitation capability eliminates the need for physical access or prior system compromise, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation is insufficient. The vulnerability affects organizations that have not yet patched their HP Operations Agent installations, potentially exposing entire network domains to compromise. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, while also supporting initial access through T1190 for exploit public-facing application.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-3004 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from HP security advisories, as the vulnerability's unspecified nature suggests a fundamental flaw requiring vendor-provided fixes. Organizations should conduct comprehensive asset inventory to identify all affected HP Operations Agent installations across their network infrastructure. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate systems running the vulnerable agent, while monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect anomalous network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized code and establish robust incident response procedures for potential exploitation events. Additionally, regular security assessments of enterprise monitoring tools should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system management applications that may present comparable risks. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all enterprise monitoring and management tools, as these components often serve as prime targets for attackers seeking long-term access to network environments.