CVE-2017-12491 in iMC PLAT
Summary
by MITRE
A Remote Code Execution vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) PLAT version PLAT 7.3 (E0504) was found. The problem was resolved in HPE Intelligent Management Center PLAT v7.3 (E0506) or any subsequent version.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12491 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within HPE Intelligent Management Center PLAT version 7.3 (E0504) that exposes organizations to significant cybersecurity risks. This vulnerability affects the centralized network management platform that HPE provides for enterprise network infrastructure monitoring and management, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise network operations and gain unauthorized access to critical systems.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the iMC platform's web interface handling mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted malicious requests to the affected system, which then executes arbitrary code on the target server with the privileges of the affected service account. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages improper sanitization of user-supplied data in web application parameters, allowing for command injection attacks that bypass standard security controls. The vulnerability manifests through HTTP request processing where insufficient validation permits attackers to inject malicious payloads that the application subsequently interprets and executes as legitimate commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access within enterprise networks. Organizations utilizing affected iMC versions face risks including data exfiltration, network reconnaissance, lateral movement attacks, and potential disruption of critical network management functions. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or prior authentication within the network environment, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose their management interfaces to external networks. This risk is compounded by the fact that iMC systems often serve as central points for network monitoring and control, making successful exploitation potentially devastating to overall network security posture.
Security professionals should immediately upgrade to HPE Intelligent Management Center PLAT version 7.3 (E0506) or any subsequent release that addresses this vulnerability. Organizations without immediate access to updated versions should implement network segmentation to isolate affected systems, deploy web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious traffic, and restrict external access to the iMC management interfaces through network access controls. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories related to command injection and code injection flaws, and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1071 for application layer protocol. Additional mitigations include implementing strict input validation controls, conducting regular security assessments of management interfaces, and maintaining comprehensive network monitoring to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts.