CVE-2016-6646 in Unisphere for VMAX Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
The vApp Managers web application in EMC Unisphere for VMAX Virtual Appliance 8.x before 8.3.0 and Solutions Enabler Virtual Appliance 8.x before 8.3.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted input to the (1) GetSymmCmdRequest or (2) RemoteServiceHandler class.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6646 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within EMC Unisphere for VMAX Virtual Appliance and Solutions Enabler Virtual Appliance versions 8.x prior to 8.3.0. This vulnerability exists within the vApp Managers web application component that serves as the primary interface for managing virtual storage environments. The affected systems operate in enterprise data center environments where storage virtualization and management are critical for business operations. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within two specific classes: GetSymmCmdRequest and RemoteServiceHandler, which process incoming requests from remote clients. These components fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary code on the target systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects the core management infrastructure of storage virtual appliances, potentially compromising the entire storage ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of serialized data structures within the web application's request processing pipeline. When the GetSymmCmdRequest or RemoteServiceHandler classes receive crafted input, they deserialize the data without adequate validation checks, allowing attackers to manipulate object instantiation processes. This deserialization flaw enables attackers to construct malicious payload objects that, when processed, execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-502, which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data, and represents a classic example of insecure deserialization that has been frequently exploited in enterprise storage management systems. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gain full administrative control over the virtual appliance, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or disruption of critical storage services.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6646 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of enterprise storage infrastructure. Organizations utilizing affected EMC appliances face significant risks including unauthorized access to sensitive storage data, potential lateral movement within network environments, and complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects systems that typically operate in highly privileged environments where storage management applications have extensive access to critical business data. Successful exploitation could result in denial of service conditions, data corruption, or complete takeover of storage virtualization services that may support mission-critical applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control through deserialization attacks, privilege escalation, and persistence mechanisms that attackers can leverage to maintain long-term access to compromised storage environments.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to EMC Unisphere for VMAX Virtual Appliance 8.3.0 and Solutions Enabler Virtual Appliance 8.3.0 releases which contain patches addressing the deserialization vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to management interfaces, particularly limiting access to only trusted administrative networks. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls, monitoring for unusual deserialization patterns, and conducting regular security assessments of storage management interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices around input validation and object serialization, particularly in enterprise management applications that handle sensitive operational data. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protection mechanisms and anomaly detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting similar deserialization vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications.