CVE-2017-8956 in Intelligent Management Center
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 • 02/04/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8956 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 IT infrastructure. This vulnerability exposes organizations to significant security risks as it allows unauthorized remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such platforms serve as central management hubs for critical network components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the iMC platform's web interface components, specifically affecting the handling of user-supplied data in certain API endpoints and administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious payloads that bypass authentication mechanisms and leverage the platform's legitimate administrative functions to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the affected service account. This weakness aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental security flaw that enables injection attacks, and represents a classic example of how insufficient sanitization of user inputs can lead to remote code execution vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-8956 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the affected iMC platform and potentially the broader network infrastructure it manages. Organizations may experience data exfiltration, lateral movement within their network, installation of backdoors, and disruption of critical network management functions. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or prior network presence, making it particularly attractive to threat actors. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 which describes execution through command and scripting interpreters, as the vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-8956 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates, as HPE released specific patches addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to isolate iMC platforms from critical network segments, deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and conduct thorough network scans to identify any potential compromise. Additional defensive measures include disabling unnecessary administrative services, implementing strict access controls, and monitoring system logs for suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following security best practices as outlined in NIST SP 800-40 and ISO 27001 frameworks for vulnerability management and security operations.