CVE-2011-4159 in Event Monitoring Service
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in System Administration Manager (SAM) in EMS before A.04.20.11.04_01 on HP HP-UX B.11.11, B.11.23, and B.11.31 allows local users to gain privileges via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4159 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the System Administration Manager component of HP Enterprise Management Software suite. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to A.04.20.11.04_01 and affects multiple HP-UX operating system versions including B.11.11, B.11.23, and B.11.31. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that the flaw may involve multiple attack surfaces or could be related to improper access controls within the SAM functionality. The vulnerability specifically targets local users who already have access to the system, making it particularly dangerous as it allows for elevation of privileges without requiring additional authentication or network access. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of local privilege escalation as defined by the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classification system, typically categorized as CWE-269 or CWE-787 depending on the specific implementation details. The SAM component is designed to provide system administration capabilities and may contain mechanisms for managing system resources, user permissions, and administrative functions that could be exploited to gain elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it potentially compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the entire system. Local users who exploit this vulnerability could gain administrative access to the system, allowing them to modify critical system files, disable security controls, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning given that it affects multiple HP-UX versions, suggesting a widespread issue within the enterprise management software ecosystem. The vulnerability could be exploited by malicious insiders or attackers who have already gained initial access to the system through other means, making it a critical component of a multi-stage attack strategy. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation tactics, specifically targeting techniques that involve local account manipulation or exploitation of system administration tools to gain elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the affected HP Enterprise Management Software to the recommended version A.04.20.11.04_01 or later. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of SAM and ensure that proper access controls are implemented to limit local user privileges where possible. The principle of least privilege should be enforced, ensuring that local users have minimal necessary permissions to perform their required tasks. System administrators should also implement monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around system administration tool usage and privilege escalation events. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit local access to critical systems. Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components, as this type of flaw often indicates broader security weaknesses in system administration tools. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date system software and the potential risks associated with legacy system administration tools that may contain undiscovered security flaws.