CVE-2011-1857 in Service Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP Service Manager 7.02, 7.11, 9.20, and 9.21 and Service Center 6.2.8 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1857 represents a critical access control flaw within HP Service Manager and Service Center software versions 7.02, 7.11, 9.20, and 9.21 along with Service Center 6.2.8. This unspecified weakness allows remote authenticated users to circumvent intended security restrictions, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive system resources and data. The vulnerability exists within the authentication and authorization mechanisms of these enterprise service management platforms, which are widely deployed in corporate environments for IT service management operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under access control bypass scenarios that can be categorized as CWE-284, which describes improper access control conditions where systems fail to properly enforce access restrictions. The flaw operates at the application layer where legitimate users with valid credentials can exploit unknown vectors to gain elevated privileges or access restricted functionalities. This type of vulnerability typically arises from inadequate input validation, flawed permission checking mechanisms, or improper session management within the service management applications. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could potentially access confidential information, modify system configurations, or perform administrative actions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1857 extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it compromises the fundamental security model of enterprise service management systems. Organizations using these affected versions face significant risks including data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and potential disruption of critical IT service management processes. The vulnerability affects systems that handle sensitive business data, user credentials, and service configuration information, making it particularly dangerous for enterprises that rely on these platforms for their operational continuity. Attackers could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to service requests, change management processes, incident management workflows, and other critical service management functions. The remote nature of the attack vector means that threat actors do not require physical access to the systems and can potentially exploit the vulnerability from anywhere on the network.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by HP, reviewing and strengthening access control policies, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of these systems. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which describes valid accounts as a means of gaining access, since the attack requires authenticated users but bypasses normal access controls. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for unusual access patterns, implementing multi-factor authentication, and conducting regular security assessments of service management platforms. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary services, implementing strict firewall rules, and establishing robust audit logging to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patches in controlled environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing service management workflows and business processes.