CVE-2016-4367 in Universal CMDB
Summary
by MITRE
The Universal Discovery component in HPE Universal CMDB 10.0, 10.01, 10.10, 10.11, 10.20, and 10.21 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2022
The Universal Discovery component in HPE Universal CMDB versions 10.0 through 10.21 presents a significant information disclosure vulnerability that affects organizations relying on this configuration management database solution. This vulnerability resides within the universal discovery functionality responsible for identifying and cataloging IT assets across enterprise networks, making it a critical target for adversaries seeking to gain unauthorized insights into organizational infrastructure. The unspecified vectors suggest multiple potential attack paths that could be exploited to extract sensitive data from the system, potentially exposing configuration details, network topology information, or other classified assets that should remain protected within the enterprise environment.
The technical flaw in this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and insufficient input validation within the Universal Discovery component's information retrieval mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized data extraction without proper authentication or authorization, potentially accessing detailed information about discovered systems, their configurations, and network relationships. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the security model of the CMDB system, where sensitive operational data that should be protected within the organization's internal boundaries becomes accessible to external threat actors. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure" and specifically covers scenarios where improper access controls lead to unauthorized information disclosure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks by providing adversaries with comprehensive knowledge of target environments. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain insights into network architecture, system configurations, and asset inventories that would significantly aid in planning subsequent attacks. This information disclosure could facilitate lateral movement within networks, help identify potential attack vectors, and enable targeted exploitation of specific system weaknesses. Organizations using affected HPE Universal CMDB versions face increased risk of compromise as the vulnerability provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that would otherwise remain hidden.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected systems to address the root cause of the information disclosure issue. Organizations must ensure all instances of HPE Universal CMDB 10.0 through 10.21 are updated to the latest available versions that contain security fixes for this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of the Universal Discovery component to unauthorized users, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual access patterns or data retrieval activities. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred before patching, as the vulnerability could have been leveraged by threat actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive configuration information. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under information gathering techniques where adversaries seek to understand target environments before launching more sophisticated attacks, making proactive mitigation essential for maintaining security posture.