CVE-2014-2640 in System Management Homepage
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HP System Management Homepage (SMH) before 7.4 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2024
The CVE-2014-2640 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Hewlett Packard's System Management Homepage software version 7.3 and earlier. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a user's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information, session hijacking, or malicious redirection. The HP System Management Homepage serves as a web-based interface for managing and monitoring HP server hardware, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where system administrators rely on this interface for critical infrastructure management.
The technical flaw in CVE-2014-2640 stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the web application's handling of user-supplied data. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulating parameters or input fields within the SMH interface. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or network privileges to exploit it, making it accessible to anyone capable of reaching the vulnerable web application. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through web application attacks, where adversaries leverage vulnerabilities in web interfaces to establish footholds within target networks. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can potentially be chained with other exploits to escalate privileges or gain deeper access to the underlying system.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2640 is significant for organizations utilizing HP System Management Homepage, as it creates a potential pathway for attackers to compromise the security of their server infrastructure. System administrators who interact with the SMH interface become vulnerable to attacks that could lead to unauthorized access to system management functions, potentially allowing attackers to modify system configurations, extract sensitive data, or establish persistent access points within the network. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where centralized server management is crucial, as compromise of the SMH interface could result in widespread impact across multiple systems. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues if sensitive system information is accessed through this vulnerability, especially in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or government sectors where data protection is paramount.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to HP System Management Homepage version 7.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their network infrastructure to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of the SMH software and ensure proper patch management protocols are in place. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts, conducting regular security assessments of web applications, and establishing proper input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as the principle of least privilege, where administrators should only have access to the specific functions necessary for their roles. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact if an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, ensuring that compromise of the SMH interface does not immediately provide access to other critical systems within the enterprise environment.