CVE-2016-6899 in Server
Summary
by MITRE
The Intelligent Baseboard Management Controller (iBMC) in Huawei RH1288 V3 servers with software before V100R003C00SPC613, RH2288 V3 servers with software before V100R003C00SPC617, RH2288H V3 servers with software before V100R003C00SPC515, RH5885 V3 servers with software before V100R003C10SPC102, and XH620 V3, XH622 V3, and XH628 V3 servers with software before V100R003C00SPC610 might allow remote attackers to decrypt encrypted data and consequently obtain sensitive information by leveraging selection of an insecure SSL encryption algorithm.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-6899 represents a critical security flaw within Huawei's Intelligent Baseboard Management Controller (iBMC) implementations across multiple server models including RH1288 V3, RH2288 V3, RH2288H V3, RH5885 V3, and various XH620, XH622, and XH628 V3 systems. This weakness specifically targets the SSL/TLS encryption protocols used by the iBMC interface, which serves as the primary management console for these enterprise-grade servers. The affected software versions indicate that this vulnerability has been present for an extended period, affecting numerous hardware configurations within Huawei's server portfolio. The iBMC system provides out-of-band management capabilities, allowing administrators to monitor and control servers remotely, making it a prime target for attackers seeking unauthorized access to critical infrastructure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper implementation of SSL/TLS protocol selection within the iBMC software, specifically allowing the system to negotiate and use insecure encryption algorithms during communication sessions. This flaw enables remote attackers to perform protocol downgrade attacks or exploit weak cipher suites that are supported by the vulnerable software versions. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms, and CWE-326, which covers the exposure of sensitive information due to insufficient encryption. When attackers successfully exploit this weakness, they can intercept and decrypt data transmitted between management clients and the iBMC interface, potentially gaining access to administrative credentials, system configurations, and other sensitive operational data that should remain protected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of affected server infrastructure. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to the management interfaces of these servers, potentially leading to complete system compromise, unauthorized configuration changes, and the ability to perform malicious activities such as data exfiltration or system manipulation. The implications are particularly severe given that iBMC interfaces are designed to provide administrative access to servers, often containing sensitive information about system configurations, user credentials, and operational parameters. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring physical access to the servers, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where security is paramount.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the insecure SSL/TLS implementation. The remediation process should involve updating all affected Huawei server models to software versions that properly enforce strong cryptographic protocols and disable support for weak cipher suites. Security administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of iBMC interfaces to trusted networks only, while monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other systems that might be running vulnerable iBMC versions, and implement network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation of this weakness. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1566 for Credential Access, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat and the need for comprehensive defensive measures.