CVE-2014-2601 in Integrated Lights-Out
Summary
by MITRE
The server in HP Integrated Lights-Out 2 (aka iLO 2) 2.23 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via crafted HTTPS traffic, as demonstrated by traffic from a CVE-2014-0160 vulnerability-assessment tool.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2601 affects HP Integrated Lights-Out 2 management interface version 2.23 and earlier, representing a critical denial of service weakness within enterprise server management infrastructure. This flaw specifically targets the HTTPS server component of the iLO 2 platform, which serves as a remote management solution for HP servers. The vulnerability manifests when the system receives specially crafted HTTPS traffic that triggers an improper handling of malformed requests, leading to system instability and complete service unavailability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the inherent weaknesses in the HTTPS server implementation within the iLO 2 firmware, creating a scenario where legitimate management traffic becomes compromised. The attack vector involves sending maliciously constructed HTTPS packets that exploit memory handling or request parsing errors within the embedded web server. This particular vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption pattern that results in system crashes or indefinite hangs, effectively rendering the remote management interface inaccessible to authorized administrators and legitimate users.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to enterprise IT infrastructure management, as it directly compromises the availability of critical server management functions. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause complete denial of access to the iLO 2 interface, preventing administrators from performing essential maintenance, monitoring, or emergency interventions on affected servers. The timing of this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects systems that may be operating in production environments where remote management access is crucial for system uptime and operational continuity. The exploitation pattern described in the CVE indicates that the attack can be carried out using existing vulnerability assessment tools, making it easily accessible to malicious actors.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a failure in input validation and memory management within embedded systems. This weakness exposes the underlying architecture to remote code execution risks and operational disruptions that can cascade through enterprise networks. Organizations utilizing affected iLO 2 versions face significant risk of service interruption, potential data loss, and compromised security posture during the vulnerable period. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a denial of service attack under the system service manipulation tactic, where adversaries compromise availability of critical infrastructure components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from HP to address the underlying memory handling flaws in the HTTPS server implementation. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to iLO 2 interfaces and establish monitoring for anomalous HTTPS traffic patterns. The remediation process involves upgrading to iLO 2 firmware version 2.24 or later, which includes patches addressing the memory corruption issues. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing access controls and authentication measures to reduce the attack surface, while maintaining regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other management interfaces.