CVE-2011-3159 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-1227.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3159 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 vulnerability, indicating that the exact technical mechanism enabling remote code execution remains partially obscured in the initial disclosure. The vulnerability is classified as a remote code execution flaw, which poses significant risk to systems where these HP Data Protector components are deployed, particularly in enterprise environments where data protection and backup solutions are critical infrastructure components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and potentially improper handling of data within the HP Data Protector software components. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers could exploit this weakness through various means including network-based attacks, malicious file processing, or other attack surfaces within the software ecosystem. This type of vulnerability typically indicates a lack of proper sanitization of user inputs or external data sources, which can lead to buffer overflows, injection attacks, or other code execution scenarios. The vulnerability operates at a level that allows remote attackers to bypass normal security controls and directly execute malicious code on affected systems, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-3159 extends beyond simple code execution, as it can compromise the entire data protection infrastructure managed by HP Data Protector. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to backup data, modify backup configurations, or even escalate privileges to gain administrative control over the affected systems. The implications are severe because backup systems often contain sensitive organizational data and serve as critical recovery points, making them attractive targets for adversaries seeking long-term access or data exfiltration. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local credentials to compromise systems, significantly expanding the attack surface and reducing the effectiveness of traditional perimeter-based security measures.
Organizations utilizing affected HP Data Protector versions should prioritize immediate remediation through official security patches provided by HP, as the vulnerability represents a high-severity threat that can lead to complete system compromise. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patches in non-production environments before deployment to avoid potential service disruptions. Security teams should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the unspecified nature of the vectors makes traditional signature-based detection challenging. This vulnerability aligns with attack patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the execution and privilege escalation tactics, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to establish persistent access. The CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification for this type of vulnerability typically falls under weakness categories related to input validation and code execution, emphasizing the need for robust software security practices and regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other systems and applications.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and implementing comprehensive vulnerability management processes. Organizations should conduct thorough risk assessments to determine the full scope of affected systems and implement additional security controls beyond patching, including network monitoring, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits. The incident underscores the necessity of following security best practices such as the principle of least privilege, regular security updates, and maintaining detailed inventory of all software components to quickly identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across the enterprise infrastructure.