CVE-2015-5426 in LoadRunner
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP LoadRunner Controller before 12.50 allows local users to gain privileges via unknown vectors, aka ZDI-CAN-2756.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5426 represents a local privilege escalation flaw within HP LoadRunner Controller versions prior to 12.50. This critical security weakness enables malicious local users to elevate their system privileges through unspecified attack vectors that were not fully disclosed in the initial vulnerability report. The issue resides within the controller component of HP's performance testing software suite, which is widely used for load testing enterprise applications and web services. HP LoadRunner Controller serves as the central management interface for creating, scheduling, and monitoring load tests across distributed test environments, making it a potentially attractive target for attackers seeking persistent system access.
The technical nature of this privilege escalation vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and privilege management mechanisms within the controller application. Local users who already have access to the system can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially gaining administrator-level access to the underlying operating system. This type of vulnerability typically arises from improper input validation, insecure coding practices, or missing security checks that should prevent unauthorized privilege elevation. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack could potentially leverage multiple exploitation techniques including but not limited to DLL hijacking, file system manipulation, or process injection methods. The vulnerability falls under the category of local privilege escalation as defined by the CWE taxonomy under CWE-269, which specifically addresses privilege escalation issues where attackers can elevate their privileges from a lower-privilege account to a higher-privilege account.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to compromise the entire test environment and potentially access sensitive data within the load testing infrastructure. Since HP LoadRunner Controller is often deployed in enterprise environments where it may have access to production system information, a successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, system corruption, or unauthorized access to critical business applications. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the controller component, which typically runs with elevated privileges to manage test execution and system resources. Attackers could use this privilege escalation to modify test configurations, inject malicious code into test scenarios, or even access the underlying database systems that store test results and configuration data. This represents a significant risk to organizations using HP LoadRunner for performance testing of mission-critical applications, as the attack surface includes not just the controller itself but also the broader test infrastructure it manages.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to HP LoadRunner Controller version 12.50 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also review and implement least privilege access controls, ensuring that only authorized personnel have local access to systems running the controller component. Additional protective measures include regular security audits of the load testing infrastructure, monitoring for suspicious privilege escalation activities, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to critical test environments. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through exploitation of software vulnerabilities and defense evasion through manipulation of system processes. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies and regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other enterprise applications that may be running with elevated privileges. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring solutions to detect and respond to privilege escalation attempts in enterprise environments.