CVE-2012-3280 in Nonstop Server Software
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities on HP NonStop Servers H06.x and J06.x allow remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information, modify data, or cause a denial of service via an OSS Remote Operation over an Expand connection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3280 affects HP NonStop Servers running H06.x and J06.x operating system versions, representing a critical security flaw in the OSS (Open System Services) remote operation functionality. This issue manifests through Expand connections, which are part of the NonStop operating system's network communication infrastructure designed to facilitate remote system management and data exchange. The unspecified nature of the vulnerabilities suggests multiple attack vectors exist within the OSS remote operation implementation that can be exploited by authenticated remote attackers.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient validation and authorization mechanisms within the Expand connection handling code of the OSS subsystem. When remote authenticated users establish connections through this mechanism, they can potentially leverage the vulnerability to perform unauthorized operations including sensitive information disclosure, data modification, and service disruption. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and access control checks that should normally prevent unauthorized operations within the system's security boundaries. This weakness allows attackers who have already established legitimate authentication credentials to escalate their privileges or perform operations beyond their intended authorization scope.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise as it provides attackers with multiple attack vectors that can be combined to create more severe consequences. An attacker could first obtain sensitive system information through information disclosure, then use that intelligence to modify critical data or disrupt system operations through denial of service attacks. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for network-connected environments where unauthorized access can occur from anywhere on the internet. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the NonStop operating system by undermining the trust boundaries established for remote operations.
Organizations running affected HP NonStop servers should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by HP, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected systems, and conducting thorough security audits of all remote access points. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-200 (Information Disclosure) categories, representing a classic case of insufficient authorization checks in remote service implementations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1078 (Valid Accounts) for initial access and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service) for service disruption capabilities. The security implications require comprehensive monitoring of network traffic patterns and authentication logs to detect potential exploitation attempts, while also implementing principle of least privilege controls to limit the impact of any successful attacks.