CVE-2016-8530 in iMC PLAT
Summary
by MITRE
A remote denial of service vulnerability in HPE iMC PLAT version v7.2 E0403P06 and earlier was found. The problem was resolved in iMC PLAT 7.3 E0504 or subsequent version.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8530 represents a critical remote denial of service flaw within HPE iMC PLAT version 7.2 E0403P06 and earlier iterations. This issue affects the HPE Integrated Management Controller platform, which serves as a comprehensive network management solution for enterprise environments. The vulnerability specifically resides in the platform's handling of certain network protocols and management functions, creating a potential attack vector that adversaries could exploit to disrupt critical network operations. The affected version represents a significant security gap in the HPE iMC PLAT ecosystem, as it allows unauthorized remote attackers to initiate denial of service conditions that could impact network infrastructure management capabilities.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation and resource handling within the iMC PLAT service components. When processing specific malformed network requests or management commands, the platform fails to properly validate incoming data structures, leading to unexpected behavior that can result in service termination or complete system unavailability. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the platform's network management protocols to execute the denial of service attack. The flaw essentially creates a condition where legitimate service operations are disrupted through carefully crafted malicious inputs that trigger memory corruption or resource exhaustion within the management platform's processing components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it affects the core network management capabilities that organizations rely upon for maintaining infrastructure health and operational continuity. Organizations utilizing affected iMC PLAT versions face potential business disruption when network administrators cannot access management consoles or when automated network monitoring systems become unavailable. The remote nature of the vulnerability means that attackers can exploit this weakness from external network positions without requiring physical access or local credentials, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where network management systems are exposed to external networks. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad, potentially compromising network infrastructure monitoring and management functions critical for enterprise operations.
The remediation for CVE-2016-8530 requires immediate upgrade to HPE iMC PLAT version 7.3 E0504 or later releases, as this update includes patched implementations of the vulnerable network management protocols and enhanced input validation mechanisms. Organizations should conduct comprehensive testing of the upgraded environment to ensure that all network management functions operate correctly and that no regression issues have been introduced. Security teams should also implement network segmentation strategies to limit exposure of the iMC PLAT systems to untrusted networks while awaiting upgrades. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses improper handling of resources, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving service stoppage and availability disruption. Additionally, this vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing robust patch management processes to prevent exploitation of known security flaws in enterprise network management platforms.