CVE-2017-12515 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-2017-12515 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within HPE Intelligent Management Center PLAT version 7.3 E0504, exposing organizations to significant cybersecurity risks. This vulnerability resides within HPE's network management platform that serves as a centralized solution for monitoring and managing enterprise networks, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to compromise network infrastructure. The affected system operates as a comprehensive management center that handles various network operations including device monitoring, configuration management, and performance analytics, creating multiple potential attack vectors for exploitation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the iMC PLAT web interface, specifically in how the system processes user-supplied data in certain API endpoints. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that bypass authentication mechanisms and execute arbitrary code on the target system with the privileges of the web application. This flaw falls under CWE-20, which categorizes improper input validation as a fundamental security weakness, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploiting weaknesses in software to gain code execution capabilities. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate the application's processing of parameters without proper sanitization, leading to command injection scenarios that can result in complete system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-12515 extends beyond simple code execution, as successful exploitation enables attackers to gain full administrative control over the iMC platform and subsequently access the entire network infrastructure it manages. This includes the potential to view, modify, or delete sensitive network configurations, access confidential data stored within the management center, and establish persistent backdoors for continued unauthorized access. Organizations relying on iMC for network monitoring face severe consequences including data breaches, network disruption, and potential compromise of critical business operations, particularly in environments where the platform controls essential network services and devices.
Security professionals should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch released in HPE Intelligent Management Center PLAT v7.3 E0506 or later versions, which addresses the input validation issues that enable this vulnerability. Additional protective measures include network segmentation to limit access to the iMC platform, implementing strict firewall rules that restrict external access to management interfaces, and monitoring for suspicious network activity that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any systems running the affected version and ensure proper patch management processes are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from remaining unaddressed in the future. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the updated software to verify that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing network management workflows and configurations.