CVE-2017-14374 in Storage Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The SMI-S service in Dell Storage Manager versions earlier than 16.3.20 (aka 2016 R3.20) is protected using a hard-coded password. A remote user with the knowledge of the password might potentially disable the SMI-S service via HTTP requests, affecting storage management and monitoring functionality via the SMI-S interface. This issue, aka DSM-30415, only affects a Windows installation of the Data Collector (not applicable to the virtual appliance).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-14374 represents a critical security flaw in Dell Storage Manager's SMI-S service implementation. This issue affects versions prior to 16.3.20, specifically the 2016 R3.20 release, and demonstrates a classic case of hard-coded credentials that violates fundamental security principles. The SMI-S service, which stands for Storage Management Initiative Specification, is designed to provide standardized storage management interfaces, but in this instance it was configured with a predetermined password that remains unchanged across deployments. This hard-coded credential approach creates an inherent security weakness that directly conflicts with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through HTTP requests that target the SMI-S service endpoints, allowing a remote attacker with knowledge of the hard-coded password to disable the service entirely. This represents a privilege escalation attack vector that can be executed without authentication, as the password is publicly known and does not require any form of user interaction or credential guessing. The attack surface is specifically limited to Windows installations of the Data Collector component, which means that virtual appliance deployments remain unaffected, but this limitation does not mitigate the overall risk to systems that do implement the vulnerable Windows version. The SMI-S service typically operates on standard HTTP ports and utilizes common web protocols, making it accessible through conventional network scanning and exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader storage management and monitoring capabilities. When the SMI-S service is disabled, administrators lose the ability to perform critical storage management functions through the standardized interface that many enterprise storage systems depend upon. This disruption can cascade into larger operational issues, as storage monitoring and management tools that rely on SMI-S protocols become non-functional, potentially leading to degraded service levels and extended recovery times. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, specifically targeting the availability of storage management services that organizations depend on for their data infrastructure operations. Organizations using Dell Storage Manager in production environments face significant risk, as this flaw can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized control over storage management functions, potentially leading to data loss or service interruption scenarios.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to Dell Storage Manager version 16.3.20 or later, which addresses the hard-coded password issue through proper credential management practices. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the SMI-S service endpoints, ensuring that only authorized systems can communicate with the storage management interface. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts against the SMI-S service. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability would be classified under CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.1.001, which covers valid accounts with default passwords. The remediation process should include not only the software upgrade but also a comprehensive review of all credential management practices within the storage infrastructure to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of the system.