CVE-2017-5817 in Intelligent Management Center PLAT
Summary
by MITRE
A Remote Code Execution vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) PLAT version 7.3 E0504P04 was found.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5817 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) PLAT version 7.3 E0504P04, a widely deployed network management platform used by enterprises for monitoring and managing their IT infrastructure. This vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface of the iMC platform, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to the underlying system. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on this platform for critical network operations. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the web application components, specifically affecting the handling of user-supplied data in certain API endpoints.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted malicious requests sent to the iMC web interface, where insufficient validation allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the target system. This flaw maps to CWE-74, which describes improper neutralization of special elements employed in a command or injection attack, and also aligns with CWE-94, representing improper control of generation of code, commonly known as code injection. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the core management platform, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive network data, or compromise the entire network infrastructure managed by the iMC system. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, deploy malware, or conduct further reconnaissance within the network environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5817 extends beyond immediate system compromise, as it affects the fundamental security posture of organizations relying on HPE iMC for network management. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to critical network devices, disruption of network services, and potential data breaches that could compromise sensitive information. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems from anywhere on the internet, without requiring physical access or network proximity. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1059, covering command and scripting interpreter. The affected iMC platform typically manages extensive network monitoring capabilities, making successful exploitation particularly damaging as it could provide attackers with comprehensive visibility into network operations and access to network devices.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches released for HPE iMC PLAT version 7.3 E0504P04, which address the input validation issues that enable this vulnerability. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the iMC management interface, limiting exposure to trusted networks only. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential compromise and implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the critical need for proper input validation in web applications. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems and network monitoring tools specifically configured to detect exploitation attempts targeting this class of vulnerabilities, as the attack surface includes multiple potential entry points within the web-based management interface.