CVE-2011-3156 in Data Protector for Personal Computers
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP Data Protector Notebook Extension 6.20 and Data Protector for Personal Computers 7.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors, aka ZDI-CAN-1222.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3156 represents a critical security flaw within HP Data Protector Notebook Extension version 6.20 and Data Protector for Personal Computers version 7.0. This issue falls under the category of unspecified remote code execution vulnerabilities, which typically indicate that the exact technical mechanism enabling exploitation remains unclear or has not been fully disclosed in public documentation. The vulnerability was catalogued under the Zero Day Initiative's CAN-1222 identifier, suggesting it was discovered and reported through coordinated disclosure channels rather than public vulnerability databases. Such vulnerabilities are particularly concerning because they allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems without requiring local access or authentication, making them highly attractive targets for malicious actors seeking to compromise enterprise environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the inherent design flaws within the HP Data Protector software components that handle data protection and backup operations for personal computers. These products are designed to facilitate automated backup processes and data recovery functions, but the unspecified vectors of attack suggest a fundamental weakness in the software's input validation, memory management, or network communication protocols. The lack of specific details regarding the exact exploitation method makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could potentially encompass multiple attack surfaces including buffer overflows, format string vulnerabilities, or improper handling of network requests. According to CWE classification, such unspecified remote code execution vulnerabilities typically map to CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) or CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) depending on the specific implementation flaw.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing HP Data Protector software, particularly those with distributed computing environments where personal computers serve as backup sources. The remote code execution capability means that attackers could potentially gain complete control over affected systems, allowing them to install malicious software, access sensitive data, modify backup configurations, or establish persistent access points within the network. The implications extend beyond individual computer compromise, as these backup systems often contain critical organizational data and may serve as entry points for broader network infiltration. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to target backup servers or workstations that have not been patched, potentially disrupting business continuity and data recovery operations that organizations rely upon during disaster recovery scenarios.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying available vendor patches and updates, implementing network segmentation to isolate affected systems, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity related to the Data Protector services. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter), indicating that adversaries may use this vulnerability to establish persistent access through command execution on compromised systems. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing remote code execution vulnerabilities in backup and recovery software. The lack of specific exploitation details makes this vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against, requiring organizations to adopt defensive measures that address the broad attack surface while maintaining operational functionality of their backup infrastructure.