CVE-2017-8962 in Intelligent Management Center PLAT
Summary
by MITRE
A Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Hewlett Packard Enterprise Intelligent Management Center (iMC) PLAT version 7.3 E0504P2 was found.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8962 represents a critical deserialization flaw within Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Intelligent Management Center platform version 7.3 E0504P2. This issue falls under the broader category of insecure deserialization vulnerabilities that have become increasingly prevalent in enterprise software environments. The vulnerability stems from the platform's improper handling of untrusted data during the deserialization process, creating a pathway for remote code execution attacks that could compromise the entire management infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests in how the iMC PLAT system processes serialized data objects received from remote clients or network services. When the platform attempts to deserialize these objects without adequate validation or sanitization, it creates opportunities for attackers to craft malicious serialized objects that, when processed, execute arbitrary code on the target system. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to bypass traditional security controls and gain elevated privileges within the management center environment. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through network-based attacks without requiring authentication, making it highly accessible to threat actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution capabilities to encompass complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within enterprise networks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain administrative access to the iMC platform, potentially enabling them to monitor network traffic, modify configurations, or use the compromised system as a launching point for attacks against other networked devices. The affected version 7.3 E0504P2 represents a specific release where the deserialization logic failed to properly validate input data, creating persistent exposure across multiple enterprise environments that relied on this management platform for network monitoring and control.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-502, which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data as a weakness in software design. The attack surface aligns with several MITRE ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and script interpreter and T1078 for valid accounts, as successful exploitation would likely result in persistent access to the compromised system. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through official patches provided by HPE, implement network segmentation to limit access to the iMC platform, and consider monitoring for suspicious deserialization activities. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting and runtime application protection mechanisms can provide additional defense-in-depth layers against similar vulnerabilities in the future.