CVE-2017-5804 in Intelligent Management Center PLAT
Summary
by MITRE
A Remote Code Execution vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) PLAT version 7.2 was found.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5804 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) Platform version 7.2, a widely deployed network management solution used by enterprises for monitoring and managing their IT infrastructure. This vulnerability resides in the web-based administration interface of the iMC platform, specifically within the handling of user-supplied input that is processed without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system with the privileges of the web application, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive network management data.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the iMC platform's web interface components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP requests that contain specially formatted payloads designed to bypass authentication mechanisms and execute commands on the underlying operating system. The vulnerability manifests through the manipulation of parameters within the web application's request handling logic, where insufficient validation allows attacker-controlled input to be interpreted and executed as system commands. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, which specifically address improper input validation and code injection vulnerabilities respectively, both of which fall under the broader ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5804 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the iMC platform and potentially the entire network infrastructure it manages. Organizations using this platform face significant risks including data exfiltration, lateral movement within their network, and the potential for establishing persistent backdoors. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate system but also any network devices managed through the compromised iMC platform, as attackers can leverage the administrative privileges to manipulate network configurations, monitor traffic, and conduct further reconnaissance. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where iMC platforms often serve as central management points for critical network infrastructure components.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through the application of official HPE security patches and updates released to address the specific code injection flaw. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the iMC platform's administrative interfaces, limiting exposure to only trusted networks and IP addresses. Regular security monitoring and log analysis should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems within their network infrastructure that may be running vulnerable versions of the iMC platform. The mitigation strategy should include implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access, regularly updating and patching all network management systems, and maintaining detailed inventory records of all iMC platform installations to ensure complete remediation across the enterprise environment.