CVE-2018-1212 in iDRAC6
Summary
by MITRE
The web-based diagnostics console in Dell EMC iDRAC6 (Monolithic versions prior to 2.91 and Modular all versions) contains a command injection vulnerability. A remote authenticated malicious iDRAC user with access to the diagnostics console could potentially exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands as root on the affected iDRAC system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2020
The CVE-2018-1212 vulnerability represents a critical command injection flaw within Dell EMC iDRAC6 web-based diagnostics console implementations. This vulnerability specifically affects monolithic iDRAC6 versions prior to 2.91 and all modular iDRAC6 versions, creating a significant security risk for enterprise data center infrastructure. The flaw resides in the diagnostic console's handling of user input parameters, where insufficient validation allows malicious command sequences to be executed within the system's command processing pipeline. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to the diagnostics console, meaning that an attacker with legitimate administrative credentials could exploit this weakness to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with root-level privileges on the iDRAC system itself.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, representing command injection and code injection weaknesses respectively. The attack vector involves a malicious user leveraging their authenticated access to the iDRAC6 diagnostics interface to submit specially crafted input that bypasses normal input validation mechanisms. The underlying flaw typically stems from improper sanitization of user-supplied parameters before they are passed to system commands or shell execution functions. When the iDRAC6 console processes these malformed inputs, it inadvertently executes the injected commands within the system context, effectively allowing an attacker to gain root-level control over the iDRAC firmware. This represents a privilege escalation vulnerability that can be exploited without requiring additional authentication or specialized attack tools beyond legitimate administrative access.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-1212 extends far beyond simple command execution, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of enterprise server infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially gain complete control over the iDRAC system, enabling them to perform actions such as modifying system configurations, accessing sensitive data, disabling security features, or even creating persistent backdoors within the management interface. The attack can be particularly devastating in data center environments where iDRAC systems serve as primary remote management interfaces for server hardware, providing attackers with a persistent foothold that can be used to maintain access to the entire server infrastructure. Additionally, this vulnerability can be leveraged to escalate attacks beyond the immediate iDRAC system, potentially providing attackers with insights into network topology, server configurations, and other sensitive operational details.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary recommendation involves immediate patching of affected iDRAC6 systems to versions 2.91 or later, which contain the necessary security fixes to prevent command injection attacks. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit access to iDRAC interfaces to only authorized personnel with legitimate business needs. Implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual command execution patterns or suspicious input sequences within the iDRAC console could provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider disabling unnecessary iDRAC features and services when not actively required, reducing the attack surface. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, making it a significant concern for organizations implementing threat detection and response strategies. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include specific checks for iDRAC versions and their patch status to prevent exploitation of this and similar management interface vulnerabilities.