CVE-2017-12822 in HASP SRM
Summary
by MITRE
Remote enabling and disabling admin interface in Gemalto's HASP SRM, Sentinel HASP and Sentinel LDK products prior to Sentinel LDK RTE version 7.55 leads to new attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12822 represents a critical security flaw in Gemalto's hardware security modules and software protection systems, specifically affecting HASP SRM, Sentinel HASP, and Sentinel LDK products. This weakness stems from improper access control mechanisms that allow remote attackers to manipulate administrative interfaces without proper authentication. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to Sentinel LDK RTE version 7.55, indicating that manufacturers released patched versions to address this specific concern. The flaw creates a significant risk for organizations relying on these protection systems for software licensing and hardware security management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the absence of adequate authentication checks when attempting to enable or disable administrative interfaces remotely. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to system management functions, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited over network connections, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where these systems are exposed to external networks. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues, and represents a classic case of insufficient authorization controls in security-critical applications. The attack vector requires minimal privileges to initiate but can result in substantial system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-12822 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to manipulate licensing systems and potentially disable security protections entirely. Organizations using affected Gemalto products face risks including unauthorized software distribution, license bypassing, and complete system control. The vulnerability creates new attack vectors that can be leveraged by threat actors to establish persistent access to protected environments. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage, and T1566 which involves credential harvesting. The ability to remotely enable or disable administrative interfaces essentially provides attackers with a backdoor mechanism to maintain access and control over affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate deployment of patches released by Gemalto for Sentinel LDK RTE version 7.55 and subsequent releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate affected systems and restrict remote access to administrative interfaces. Additional protective measures include implementing strong authentication mechanisms, monitoring for unauthorized administrative interface access attempts, and conducting regular security assessments of protection systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates how seemingly minor access control flaws can create significant security risks. Security teams should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous administrative interface access patterns and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing this type of vulnerability.