CVE-2014-2641 in System Management Homepage
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in HP System Management Homepage (SMH) before 7.4 allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2022
The CVE-2014-2641 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in Hewlett Packard's System Management Homepage software prior to version 7.4. This vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface that administrators use to configure and monitor HP server hardware, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments that rely on this platform for system management operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication handling mechanisms within the SMH web interface, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to exploit legitimate user sessions.
The technical nature of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-forgery token validation within the SMH's web application framework. When authenticated users navigate to malicious websites or receive crafted requests, the system fails to adequately verify the origin of requests, allowing attackers to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. This flaw operates through the exploitation of the browser's automatic credential handling, where session cookies are automatically included with requests, enabling attackers to manipulate the target system's configuration or perform administrative actions without proper authorization. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-352 indicates it falls within the well-established category of cross-site request forgery attacks that have been documented in numerous security frameworks and standards.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to potentially compromise entire server management infrastructures. Remote authenticated users can leverage this flaw to hijack sessions and execute administrative functions such as changing system configurations, modifying user permissions, or accessing sensitive system information. The unspecified nature of the victim vectors suggests that the attack could occur through various delivery mechanisms including phishing emails, compromised websites, or malicious links that users might inadvertently click while authenticated to the SMH interface. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where administrators frequently access management interfaces from various locations and devices.
Organizations utilizing HP System Management Homepage software prior to version 7.4 face substantial risk from this vulnerability, as it directly undermines the security of their server management infrastructure. The attack vector requires only that an authenticated user visit a malicious page, making it relatively simple to exploit in real-world scenarios where users may encounter compromised websites or phishing attempts. The vulnerability's presence in a critical management interface means that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data breaches, or unauthorized access to sensitive enterprise infrastructure. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments and prioritize remediation efforts alongside other critical security issues.
The recommended mitigation strategy for CVE-2014-2641 involves immediate deployment of HP's security patches and updates for the System Management Homepage software to version 7.4 or later. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as network segmentation, web application firewalls, and enhanced monitoring of management interface access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software within the enterprise environment. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing system configurations while maintaining the integrity of the management interface functionality.