CVE-2018-0431 in Integrated Management Controller
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of command input by the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted commands to the web-based management interface of the affected software. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject and execute arbitrary, system-level commands with root privileges on an affected device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0431 resides within Cisco Integrated Management Controller IMC Software's web-based management interface, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of enterprise server management systems. This weakness specifically targets the authentication and input validation mechanisms that govern how administrative commands are processed through the graphical user interface, creating a pathway for malicious actors to escalate their privileges and gain complete system control. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by its requirement for only authenticated access, meaning that an attacker who has already obtained valid credentials can leverage this flaw to achieve root-level privileges without additional authorization barriers.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the IMC software's command processing pipeline, which fails to properly validate or filter user-supplied data before executing system-level operations. This insufficient validation creates a command injection vulnerability that allows attackers to append malicious commands to legitimate administrative operations, effectively bypassing the normal security controls that should prevent unauthorized system modifications. The flaw operates at the application layer where user inputs are directly interpreted and executed by the underlying operating system, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through the web interface without requiring direct system access or specialized tools.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete control over affected devices that typically serve as critical infrastructure components in enterprise data centers. The ability to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges means that an attacker could potentially modify system configurations, install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or disrupt critical services that depend on these management controllers. This vulnerability directly affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of enterprise systems, as it could enable attackers to compromise entire server fleets managed through the IMC interface, particularly in environments where multiple servers share the same management infrastructure.
Organizations affected by CVE-2018-0431 should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches from Cisco, which address the input validation shortcomings in the IMC software. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the management interface to trusted networks only, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous command execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their IMC implementations to identify additional attack surfaces and ensure that all administrative interfaces are properly hardened against similar injection vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, while CWE-77 indicates the specific weakness of command injection that enables this exploitation path. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege controls and regular security audits to prevent unauthorized access to management interfaces that could be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks.