CVE-2013-2358 in System Management Homepage
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP System Management Homepage (SMH) before 7.2.1 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service via unknown vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-2357, CVE-2013-2359, and CVE-2013-2360.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2358 represents a critical security flaw within HP System Management Homepage version 7.2.0 and earlier, where remote authenticated attackers can trigger a denial of service condition through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability specifically affects the management interface of HP servers and workstations, which is commonly used by system administrators for monitoring and managing hardware components including processors, memory, storage devices, and network interfaces. The HP System Management Homepage serves as a centralized web-based interface for system administrators to access and configure various hardware settings, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt business operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in its classification as a denial of service flaw that operates through unspecified vectors, indicating that the exact mechanism of exploitation remains partially unknown or undocumented in the initial CVE description. The vulnerability requires authentication, meaning that attackers must first establish valid credentials to access the system before attempting exploitation. This authentication requirement suggests that the flaw may be related to improper input validation, resource exhaustion, or insufficient access controls within the SMH web interface. The fact that it operates through unknown vectors implies potential issues with memory management, session handling, or input processing that could lead to system instability or complete service interruption.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-2358 extends beyond simple service disruption, potentially affecting business continuity and operational efficiency for organizations relying on HP server infrastructure. When exploited, this vulnerability could render the System Management Homepage inaccessible to authorized administrators, thereby preventing them from monitoring system health, managing hardware configurations, or responding to critical hardware failures. This disruption could cascade into broader operational issues, as administrators lose visibility into their server environments and may be unable to perform essential maintenance tasks. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service means that legitimate users cannot access the system's management capabilities, effectively creating a situation where the system becomes unusable for its intended administrative purposes while potentially remaining functional for normal operations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including prompt patching to version 7.2.1 or later, which would address the underlying flaw in the SMH component. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to the SMH interface to trusted networks only, and should monitor for unusual authentication attempts or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should maintain comprehensive backup and recovery procedures to ensure that they can restore system management capabilities if the vulnerability is successfully exploited. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which addresses weaknesses in memory handling, and may relate to ATT&CK technique T1499 which involves network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to quickly address any successful attacks against their server management interfaces.