CVE-2017-8964 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-2017-8964 represents a critical deserialization flaw within Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Intelligent Management Center platform version 7.3 E0504P2. This issue falls under the category of insecure deserialization as defined by CWE-502, where the application processes untrusted data through serialization mechanisms without proper validation or sanitization. The vulnerability specifically affects the platform's handling of serialized objects during data transmission and processing within the iMC environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the system receives serialized data from untrusted sources and attempts to deserialize it without adequate security controls. Attackers can craft malicious serialized objects that, when processed by the vulnerable iMC platform, execute arbitrary code on the target system. This deserialization process bypasses normal security controls and allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to the system. The flaw exists in the platform's core data handling mechanisms, particularly affecting the communication protocols used by the iMC components to process user requests and system data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Successful exploitation enables attackers to achieve remote code execution with the privileges of the iMC service account, which typically operates with elevated system permissions. This compromise can lead to complete system takeover, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within the network infrastructure managed by the iMC platform. Organizations relying on this platform for network management, monitoring, and control face significant risks including unauthorized access to critical network resources, disruption of services, and potential data breaches that could affect sensitive corporate information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-8964 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected iMC platform version 7.3 E0504P2 to the latest security updates provided by Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the iMC platform only to authorized administrative networks. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary network services, implementing strict input validation for all data received by the platform, and monitoring for suspicious deserialization activities. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts and establish comprehensive incident response procedures for handling such security events. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1133 for external remote services, making it a critical target for both defensive and offensive security operations.