CVE-2013-4784 in Fujitsu M10-1
Summary
by MITRE
The HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) BMC implementation allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary IPMI commands by using cipher suite 0 (aka cipher zero) and an arbitrary password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4784 affects HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) Baseboard Management Controllers which represent critical infrastructure components for remote system management in enterprise data centers. These BMCs serve as dedicated processors that provide out-of-band management capabilities, enabling administrators to monitor and control servers even when the operating system is unresponsive or offline. The affected iLO implementations utilize the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) protocol for communication, making them integral to server lifecycle management, monitoring, and remote administration functions across numerous enterprise environments.
The technical flaw resides in the iLO BMC's handling of IPMI cipher suites, specifically the improper implementation of cipher suite 0 which is designated as the "null cipher" or "unencrypted" mode. This cipher suite should never be enabled in production environments as it provides no encryption or authentication protection. However, the vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit this misconfiguration by explicitly requesting cipher suite 0 during the authentication handshake process. When the BMC accepts this cipher suite despite the absence of proper authentication mechanisms, it enables unauthorized users to bypass the standard authentication process entirely. The attacker can then submit arbitrary IPMI commands without proper credentials, effectively gaining full administrative access to the BMC and the managed server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, representing a critical security risk that can compromise entire server infrastructures. Attackers can execute commands such as changing user passwords, accessing system logs, modifying BIOS settings, rebooting systems, and potentially gaining access to sensitive data stored on the managed servers. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where iLO BMCs are deployed without proper security hardening, as it allows attackers to escalate privileges and gain persistent access to critical infrastructure components. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the network without requiring physical access or valid credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments with exposed BMC interfaces.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-310 (Cryptographic Issues) and CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) as it involves both weak cryptographic implementation and authentication bypass mechanisms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing) as it enables unauthorized access through legitimate authentication mechanisms, and potentially T1021 (Remote Services) when attackers leverage the BMC for lateral movement. Organizations should immediately disable cipher suite 0 on all affected iLO implementations, implement proper network segmentation to isolate BMC interfaces, and ensure that all BMCs are running the latest firmware versions provided by HP. Additionally, network monitoring should be deployed to detect suspicious IPMI traffic patterns, and regular security assessments should verify that BMC configurations adhere to security best practices including disabling unencrypted cipher suites and implementing strong authentication mechanisms.