CVE-2015-2120 in SiteScope
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP SiteScope 11.1x before 11.13, 11.2x before 11.24.391, and 11.3x before 11.30.521 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges via unknown vectors, aka ZDI-CAN-2567.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2120 represents a privilege escalation issue within HP SiteScope software versions prior to specific patch releases. This authentication-based vulnerability affects multiple version streams including 11.1x before 11.13, 11.2x before 11.24.391, and 11.3x before 11.30.521, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these systems. The unspecified nature of the exact attack vectors makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it could potentially be exploited through various methods that were not fully disclosed at the time of reporting.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient privilege checking mechanism that allows authenticated users to elevate their access rights beyond what should be permitted. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the category of privilege escalation attacks where legitimate users can leverage their existing credentials to gain higher-level system permissions. The vulnerability operates at the application level within HP SiteScope's authentication and authorization framework, potentially enabling attackers to access sensitive system resources, modify configurations, or perform administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations using affected HP SiteScope versions as it could enable malicious insiders or external attackers who have gained initial access to escalate their privileges and potentially compromise the entire monitoring infrastructure. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as privilege escalation often leads to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of critical monitoring services. Given that SiteScope is commonly used for enterprise-wide system monitoring, this vulnerability could provide attackers with visibility into critical infrastructure components and potentially enable further lateral movement within the network.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in relation to the CWE-269 weakness category, which specifically addresses privilege escalation issues, and align the remediation efforts with ATT&CK framework techniques such as privilege escalation and defense evasion. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to mitigate this risk, while implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a remote authenticated privilege escalation means that even minimal user access could potentially lead to complete system compromise, making proactive remediation essential. Additional mitigations should include regular security assessments, privileged access monitoring, and adherence to principle of least privilege methodologies to reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in the event of exploitation.