CVE-2016-2025 in Service Manager
Summary
by MITRE
HPE Service Manager 9.30, 9.31, 9.32, 9.33, 9.34, 9.35, 9.40, and 9.41 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors, related to the Web Client, Service Request Catalog, and Mobility components.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2025 affects Hewlett Packard Enterprise Service Manager versions 9.30 through 9.41, representing a significant information disclosure weakness that impacts multiple critical components of the platform. This vulnerability exists within the Web Client interface, Service Request Catalog functionality, and Mobility components, creating a broad attack surface that could potentially expose sensitive data to remote threat actors. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways may exist for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a security posture perspective. Such information disclosure vulnerabilities are classified under CWE-200 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. The affected components collectively form a comprehensive service management ecosystem that handles critical business processes and user data, making any information leakage potentially devastating to organizational security.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient access control mechanism within the HPE Service Manager platform, allowing remote attackers to extract sensitive information without proper authentication or authorization. This weakness likely stems from improper input validation, inadequate session management, or flawed privilege escalation controls within the web-based interface components. Attackers could potentially access confidential data including user credentials, service request details, catalog information, and mobility-related data that should remain protected within the enterprise environment. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data exposure as it could enable further attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, or even complete system compromise depending on the nature of the sensitive information accessed. The mobility component specifically raises concerns about data exposure on mobile devices that may be used to access service management functions, potentially creating additional attack vectors through mobile device management vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on HPE Service Manager for their IT service management operations. Sensitive business data, including customer information, service request details, and internal operational data could be exposed to unauthorized parties, leading to potential regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage. The affected versions span multiple release cycles, indicating a persistent flaw that was not adequately addressed in the security updates, suggesting either incomplete fixes or the vulnerability being introduced in a core architectural component. Organizations utilizing these service management platforms face increased risk of data breaches, especially in environments where the service manager handles sensitive information such as financial data, personal identifiable information, or intellectual property. The remote nature of the attack vector eliminates the need for physical access or insider threat capabilities, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from anywhere on the internet.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-2025 should include immediate implementation of the latest security patches provided by HPE, which would address the root cause of the information disclosure vulnerability. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate the service manager components from critical internal systems, reducing the potential blast radius of any successful exploitation. Access controls should be strengthened through implementation of multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and regular security audits of user permissions. Monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts or unusual data access patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems and security information event management solutions to identify and respond to potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1005 for data from local systems, indicating that exploitation would likely involve web-based attack vectors and data exfiltration activities. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the broader service management ecosystem and ensure comprehensive protection against information disclosure threats.