CVE-2013-4843 in Integrated Lights-Out
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP Integrated Lights-Out 4 (iLO4) with firmware before 1.32 allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4843 affects HP Integrated Lights-Out 4 (iLO4) management processors running firmware versions prior to 1.32. This represents a significant security weakness in enterprise server management infrastructure that could potentially compromise critical system information. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, though it clearly involves information disclosure capabilities that extend beyond normal operational parameters.
This vulnerability operates within the context of remote authenticated access, meaning that an attacker must first establish legitimate credentials to the iLO4 management interface before exploiting the flaw. The security implications are particularly concerning because iLO4 serves as a critical out-of-band management solution for HP servers, providing administrators with remote access to system configuration, monitoring, and control functions even when the primary operating system is unavailable. The ability to obtain sensitive information through this channel creates potential pathways for attackers to gather intelligence about system configurations, network settings, and other operational details that could facilitate further attacks.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability demonstrates a weakness in the information access controls implemented within the iLO4 firmware architecture. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw may involve improper access control mechanisms or information leakage through API calls, configuration interfaces, or diagnostic functions that are not properly restricted. This aligns with common security patterns where management interfaces fail to adequately validate access permissions for sensitive data retrieval operations. The vulnerability's classification under CWE 200 (Information Exposure) and its potential mapping to ATT&CK technique T1087 (Account Discovery) highlights the fundamental nature of information disclosure threats in management interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information leakage, as it could enable attackers to gather intelligence that facilitates more sophisticated attacks against the target infrastructure. An attacker with authenticated access could potentially map network topology, identify system configurations, or extract sensitive operational data that could be used for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. The remote nature of the vulnerability means that attackers do not require physical access to the systems, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where management interfaces are often exposed to untrusted networks.
Organizations should prioritize immediate firmware updates to address this vulnerability, as HP has released firmware version 1.32 and subsequent releases that contain the necessary security patches. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the updated firmware in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing management workflows. Additional mitigations may include implementing network segmentation to restrict access to iLO4 management interfaces, enforcing strict authentication controls, and monitoring for unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts targeting iLO4 management interfaces, as the vulnerability could be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns targeting enterprise server infrastructure.