CVE-2017-8967 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-2017-8967 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 the deserialization mechanism without proper validation or sanitization. The vulnerability specifically affects the platform's handling of serialized objects that are received from remote clients, creating an attack surface where maliciously crafted data can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the platform's failure to validate input data during the deserialization process, allowing attackers to inject malicious serialized objects that can be executed within the application context. When the system attempts to deserialize these objects, it inadvertently executes the malicious code embedded within the serialized data structure. This flaw operates at the core of Java-based applications where the ObjectInputStream class is used without proper security controls, making it susceptible to gadget chain attacks that can leverage existing classes within the application's classpath to execute arbitrary commands. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation tools.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive network infrastructure managed by the iMC platform. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges, establish persistent backdoors, or use the compromised system as a launch point for lateral movement within the network. The affected version 7.3 E0504P2 represents a widely deployed platform in enterprise environments, meaning that organizations using this version face significant risk of unauthorized access to their network management systems. This vulnerability directly maps to attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of "T1210: Exploitation of Remote Services" and "T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" when attackers leverage the platform's management capabilities for further compromise.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the iMC platform to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous deserialization patterns or unusual network traffic originating from the platform. The implementation of application whitelisting policies can prevent execution of unauthorized code, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify other potential deserialization vulnerabilities within the application stack. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing runtime application self-protection mechanisms and secure coding practices that enforce strict input validation and sanitize all data received from external sources. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patches to ensure they do not introduce regressions in platform functionality, while maintaining detailed logs of all deserialization activities for forensic analysis purposes.