CVE-2017-5790 in Intelligent Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
A remote deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC) PLAT version 7.2 E0403P06 was found.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5790 represents a critical remote deserialization flaw within HPE Intelligent Management Center PLAT version 7.2 E0403P06, exposing organizations to significant security risks. This issue stems from the improper handling of untrusted data during the deserialization process, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems without authentication. The vulnerability specifically affects the platform's deserialization mechanism, creating an attack surface where malicious payloads can be injected and executed within the context of the targeted system. The flaw resides in how the application processes serialized data objects, particularly when these objects originate from external sources or user inputs that are not properly validated or sanitized.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-502, which describes deserialization of untrusted data as a common weakness in software applications. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious serialized objects that, when processed by the vulnerable IMC platform, trigger unintended code execution. The attack vector typically involves sending specially crafted requests to the affected service, leveraging the platform's deserialization functionality to execute arbitrary commands. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of remote code execution flaws and demonstrates the dangerous implications when applications fail to properly validate serialized input data. The deserialization process in this context allows attackers to manipulate object state and potentially gain full control over the affected system, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise network management platforms.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5790 extends beyond simple code execution, as it can lead to complete system compromise and persistent access within network environments. Organizations utilizing HPE IMC platforms are at risk of unauthorized access to critical network infrastructure management functions, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate network configurations, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it from outside the network perimeter, eliminating the need for initial access to the internal network. This makes the flaw particularly concerning for network management systems that typically operate with elevated privileges and have access to sensitive infrastructure information. The attack can result in significant business disruption, data breaches, and compliance violations, especially in regulated environments where network management systems handle confidential information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-5790 should prioritize immediate patching of affected HPE IMC PLAT systems to the latest available security updates from HPE. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the vulnerable platform and consider disabling unnecessary deserialization functionality where possible. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious deserialization activities, and input validation controls should be strengthened to prevent malformed serialized data from being processed. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers scripting and command execution, highlights the need for comprehensive endpoint detection and response capabilities. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potential deserialization flaws within their network management infrastructure and implement principle of least privilege access controls to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. Regular security audits and application security testing should be performed to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise systems.