CVE-2012-4112 in Unified Computing System
Summary
by MITRE
The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) in Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) allows local users to gain privileges and execute arbitrary commands via crafted command parameters within the command-line interface, aka Bug ID CSCtr43330.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-4112 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Baseboard Management Controller of Cisco Unified Computing System environments. This weakness exists in the command-line interface implementation of the BMC component, which serves as a remote management interface for Cisco UCS infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms within the BMC's command processing subsystem, creating a pathway for local attackers to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code with elevated system permissions. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and parameter sanitization within the BMC's command-line interface, allowing maliciously crafted command parameters to bypass normal security controls and gain unauthorized access to system functions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating command parameters passed through the BMC's command-line interface to trigger unintended behavior within the underlying system processing logic. This flaw falls under the category of command injection vulnerabilities and can be classified as CWE-77 according to the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, which specifically addresses command injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into system commands without proper validation or sanitization. The vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the BMC process, potentially allowing full system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data or network resources. Attackers can leverage this weakness to escalate from standard user privileges to administrative access, effectively bypassing the normal security boundaries of the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete control over the BMC and potentially the entire UCS domain. The BMC serves as a critical management interface for Cisco UCS systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where these systems are deployed. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to modify system configurations, access sensitive management data, disable security features, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects Cisco UCS systems that utilize the affected BMC firmware versions, potentially compromising thousands of enterprise servers and data center environments that rely on Cisco UCS for their infrastructure management.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Cisco to address the vulnerability, as well as network segmentation to limit access to BMC interfaces to authorized administrative personnel only. The implementation of strong access controls and monitoring of BMC command-line interface usage can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling unnecessary BMC services and implementing network access controls to restrict direct access to BMC management interfaces from untrusted networks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and command execution tactics, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security monitoring and access control measures to prevent unauthorized system compromise. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in the broader IT infrastructure.