CVE-2018-21032 in Command Suite
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Hitachi Command Suite prior to 8.7.1-00 and Hitachi Automation Director prior to 8.5.0-00 allow authenticated remote users to expose technical information through error messages. Hitachi Command Suite includes Hitachi Device Manager and Hitachi Compute Systems Manager.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2024
This vulnerability resides in Hitachi Command Suite versions prior to 8.7.1-00 and Hitachi Automation Director versions prior to 8.5.0-00, representing a classic information disclosure flaw that affects critical infrastructure management tools. The vulnerability stems from improper error handling mechanisms that inadvertently reveal sensitive technical information to authenticated remote users who are already within the system's attack surface. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-209, which specifically addresses the exposure of error information that could aid attackers in understanding system internals and potentially exploiting other weaknesses. The affected components include Hitachi Device Manager and Hitachi Compute Systems Manager, both of which serve as centralized management interfaces for storage and compute infrastructure, making them prime targets for attackers seeking to map network topology and system configurations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users interact with system components that fail to sanitize error messages before returning them to the client. These error messages contain detailed internal system information including stack traces, database connection details, system paths, and potentially configuration parameters that should remain confidential. The flaw operates through the standard request-response cycle where legitimate user interactions with system resources trigger internal errors that are then transmitted back to the user interface without proper sanitization. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that attackers who have obtained valid credentials can leverage this weakness to gather intelligence about the underlying system architecture, which could then be used to plan more sophisticated attacks against the same infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that can significantly reduce the effort required for subsequent exploitation attempts. Attackers can use the exposed technical information to identify specific system versions, underlying technologies, and potential weak points within the infrastructure management platform. This intelligence gathering capability makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Hitachi Command Suite is used to manage critical storage and compute resources. The exposure of system internals could enable attackers to craft more targeted attacks against other components within the same ecosystem, potentially leading to privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability also increases the risk of supply chain attacks, as the disclosed information could be used to create more convincing social engineering campaigns or to identify specific system configurations that might be vulnerable to other known exploits.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched versions of Hitachi Command Suite 8.7.1-00 and Hitachi Automation Director 8.5.0-00, which contain proper error handling mechanisms that prevent technical information exposure. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit the scope of potential exploitation, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access these management interfaces. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual error message patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other management systems. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1082 (System Information Discovery) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation), as the information disclosure can lead to further exploitation opportunities. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper error handling, as outlined in industry standards that emphasize the need for robust input validation and output sanitization to prevent information leakage that could compromise system security.