CVE-2010-3988 in Insight Control Virtual Machine Management
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP Insight Control Virtual Machine Management before 6.2 allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and cause a denial of service via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3988 represents a critical security flaw within HP Insight Control Virtual Machine Management software prior to version 6.2. This issue falls under the category of unspecified vulnerability, indicating that the specific technical mechanism enabling the attack vector was not fully disclosed in the initial description. The vulnerability exists within HP's virtualization management platform, which is designed to provide centralized control and monitoring of virtual machine environments across data center infrastructure. The affected system operates within enterprise environments where virtual machine management is critical for resource allocation, monitoring, and operational efficiency.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass intended access controls that should normally restrict unauthorized access to the virtual machine management interface. This represents a significant compromise in the security model of the platform, as legitimate access controls are rendered ineffective. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers could potentially exploit multiple pathways within the system, including authentication bypass mechanisms, privilege escalation opportunities, or communication protocol weaknesses. The vulnerability specifically targets the access restriction mechanisms that are fundamental to maintaining secure virtual machine environments and protecting sensitive infrastructure data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this flaw can gain unauthorized access to virtual machine management functions, potentially allowing them to manipulate virtual environments, access sensitive data, or disrupt services. The ability to cause denial of service through this vulnerability means that legitimate users and administrators could be denied access to critical virtualization infrastructure, leading to business disruption and potential data loss. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise data centers that rely heavily on HP Insight Control for managing their virtualized environments, creating widespread operational risk across organizations depending on this platform.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and represents a significant weakness in the platform's authorization mechanisms. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability enables remote exploitation without requiring local access or specific credentials that would normally be necessary for system compromise. Organizations utilizing this platform face potential exploitation through various attack vectors that could lead to complete system compromise. The lack of specific details about the exact exploitation method makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as defenders cannot properly tailor their defenses against specific attack patterns.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of HP Insight Control Virtual Machine Management version 6.2 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces, enforce strict access controls, and monitor for unusual activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the virtualization management interfaces. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred within their environments, particularly focusing on access logs and system monitoring data that could reveal unauthorized access attempts.