CVE-2016-2023 in RESTful Interface Tool
Summary
by MITRE
HPE RESTful Interface Tool 1.40 allows local users to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2023 affects the HPE RESTful Interface Tool version 1.40, representing a local information disclosure issue that poses significant security risks to systems utilizing this management interface. This tool serves as a web-based interface for managing HPE infrastructure components, making it a critical component in data center operations and system administration tasks. The unspecified vectors within the vulnerability description indicate that the exact technical mechanisms enabling information disclosure remain undisclosed, which is common in early vulnerability reporting phases where full technical details may not be immediately available to the public.
The technical flaw within this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and information protection mechanisms within the RESTful Interface Tool's local execution environment. Local privilege escalation or information exposure typically occurs when applications fail to properly validate or sanitize data access requests from local users. This particular vulnerability allows attackers with local system access to potentially extract sensitive configuration data, authentication credentials, system information, or other confidential details that should remain restricted to authorized administrative personnel. The nature of local information disclosure vulnerabilities often involves improper handling of file permissions, insecure data storage practices, or inadequate input validation mechanisms that permit unauthorized data retrieval.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on HPE RESTful Interface Tool for infrastructure management. Attackers who gain local access to systems running this tool can exploit the vulnerability to extract sensitive data that could compromise entire network infrastructures. The information obtained might include system configuration details, user credentials, device specifications, or operational parameters that could facilitate further attacks. This vulnerability particularly threatens environments where local system access is not strictly controlled or where multiple users share administrative systems. The operational consequences extend beyond immediate data exposure to include potential lateral movement within networks, privilege escalation opportunities, and increased attack surface for sophisticated adversaries.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies that include immediate patching of affected systems to version 1.41 or later, which addresses the information disclosure vulnerability through improved access controls and data protection mechanisms. System administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected tool and ensure proper access controls are implemented for local system users. Network segmentation and privilege separation practices should be enforced to limit local access to only authorized personnel, while regular security audits should monitor for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which covers "Information Exposure," and may map to ATT&CK techniques such as T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1552 (Unsecured Credentials) when exploited by adversaries seeking to gather system information and credentials for further compromise attempts.