CVE-2012-0125 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the WBEM implementation in HP HP-UX 11.31 allows local users to obtain access to diagnostic information via unknown vectors, a related issue to CVE-2012-0126.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0125 represents a security flaw within the Web-Based Enterprise Management implementation on HP HP-UX 11.31 operating systems. This issue falls under the broader category of information disclosure vulnerabilities that can potentially compromise system integrity and confidentiality. The WBEM service, which provides standardized management interfaces for enterprise systems, has been found to contain a weakness that allows local attackers to access diagnostic information that should remain restricted. This represents a significant security concern as diagnostic data often contains sensitive system information, configuration details, and potentially exploitable system states that could aid in further attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the WBEM implementation, specifically within the HP-UX 11.31 environment. While the exact attack vectors remain unspecified in the CVE description, the relationship to CVE-2012-0126 indicates that these vulnerabilities likely share common underlying causes within the same software component. The flaw appears to be in the privilege escalation or access control mechanisms that govern how diagnostic information is exposed through the WBEM interface. This type of vulnerability typically involves insufficient validation of user permissions or improper handling of system calls that should be restricted to privileged administrators.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0125 is substantial for organizations running HP-UX 11.31 systems, as local users who can access the system can potentially extract sensitive diagnostic data that may reveal system configuration, hardware details, software versions, and other information useful for attackers planning more sophisticated attacks. This information disclosure could facilitate subsequent exploitation attempts through techniques such as privilege escalation, system enumeration, or targeted attacks against known system vulnerabilities. The local nature of the vulnerability means that attackers do not require network access or remote exploitation capabilities, making the attack surface more accessible and the potential impact more severe for systems where local access is possible.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying available patches from HP, reviewing and strengthening access controls on WBEM services, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their HP-UX environments. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Disclosure) and could potentially be leveraged as part of broader attack patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under techniques such as credential access and discovery. System administrators should consider disabling unnecessary WBEM services when not actively required for management purposes and implement monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to diagnostic interfaces. Regular security audits and privilege reviews are essential to prevent exploitation of this and similar information disclosure vulnerabilities that could provide attackers with valuable intelligence for more advanced attack phases.