CVE-2012-2004 in Insight Management Agents
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in HP Insight Management Agents before 9.0.0.0 on Windows Server 2003 and 2008 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2004 represents a critical open redirect flaw within HP Insight Management Agents version 9.0.0.0 and earlier installations on Windows Server 2003 and 2008 platforms. This security weakness enables remote attackers to manipulate user navigation by redirecting them to malicious websites without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically affects enterprise monitoring and management systems that rely on HP Insight Management Agents for server infrastructure oversight and diagnostics. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the agent's web interface components, which fail to properly sanitize or verify redirection URLs before processing user requests. This allows attackers to craft malicious URLs that appear legitimate to end users while secretly directing them to attacker-controlled domains.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under the CWE-601 category of Open Redirect, which is classified as a security misconfiguration where applications redirect users to external domains without proper validation. The attack vector typically involves crafting specially formatted URLs that contain malicious redirect parameters, which when clicked by unsuspecting users, cause their browsers to navigate away from the legitimate management interface to phishing or malware distribution sites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer, affecting the web-based management interfaces that system administrators use daily for critical infrastructure monitoring. Attackers can exploit this weakness by embedding malicious redirect URLs within phishing emails, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns targeting IT personnel who regularly access the HP Insight Management Agents interface.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-2004 extends beyond simple phishing attacks, as it can facilitate more sophisticated multi-stage attacks that compromise entire enterprise networks. When system administrators are redirected to malicious sites while managing server infrastructure, they may unknowingly provide credentials to attackers or download malware that can then be used to escalate privileges and gain deeper access to the organization's network. The vulnerability's presence in Windows Server 2003 and 2008 environments is particularly concerning given that these platforms were widely deployed in enterprise settings and often contained sensitive operational data. The attack surface is broad as any user with access to the management interface could potentially be targeted, making this a significant risk for organizations that rely heavily on HP Insight Management Agents for server monitoring and maintenance operations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches that address this vulnerability in HP Insight Management Agents version 9.0.0.0 and later releases. Network-level defenses such as web application firewalls and URL filtering solutions can help detect and block malicious redirect attempts, while security awareness training for system administrators can reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks. The implementation of proper input validation and output encoding within the web interfaces of management applications should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future deployments. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other applications or systems that might be susceptible to similar open redirect flaws, particularly those with web-based management interfaces that handle sensitive operational data. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be performed to ensure that the security controls remain effective against evolving attack techniques that may exploit weaknesses in web application architectures.