CVE-2017-13984 in BSM Platform Application Performance Management System Health
Summary
by MITRE
An authentication vulnerability in HPE BSM Platform Application Performance Management System Health product versions 9.26, 9.30 and 9.40, allows remote users to delete arbitrary files via servlet directory traversal.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13984 represents a critical authentication flaw within the HPE Business Service Management Platform Application Performance Management System Health product. This issue affects specific versions including 9.26, 9.30, and 9.40, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this platform for monitoring and managing their business services. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the servlet component that handles directory traversal requests, allowing unauthorized remote attackers to exploit this weakness without proper authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a directory traversal attack vector that bypasses the normal authentication mechanisms of the application. When the system processes incoming requests through the vulnerable servlet, it fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters that contain directory path information. This flaw enables attackers to manipulate file system access through specially crafted requests that can navigate beyond the intended directory boundaries. The vulnerability specifically affects the file deletion functionality, allowing remote users to remove arbitrary files from the system's file structure, potentially leading to complete system compromise or data destruction.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates severe implications for enterprise security infrastructure that depends on HPE BSM Platform for application performance monitoring. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can initiate malicious file deletion operations from any location without requiring physical access or valid user credentials. This characteristic significantly increases the attack surface and potential damage scope, as the vulnerability can be exploited by anyone with network access to the affected system. The impact extends beyond simple file deletion to potentially compromise system integrity, availability, and confidentiality of monitored applications and business services.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Directory Traversal and CWE-23 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory categories, representing a classic path traversal attack that exploits insufficient input validation. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1486 Data Encrypted for Impact, as the file deletion capabilities can be leveraged to disrupt system operations and potentially encrypt critical data. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation measures including network segmentation, firewall rule configuration, and access control restrictions to limit exposure to this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies should focus on both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening of the affected platform. The primary recommendation involves applying the official security patches released by HPE to address the directory traversal vulnerability in the affected versions. Additionally, organizations should implement network-level controls to restrict access to the vulnerable servlet endpoints, particularly from untrusted networks. Security configurations should include disabling unnecessary file operations, implementing proper input validation, and establishing robust monitoring for suspicious file system activities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the business service management infrastructure.