CVE-2018-6488 in Universal CMDB
Summary
by MITRE
Arbitrary Code Execution vulnerability in Micro Focus Universal CMDB, version 4.10, 4.11, 4.12. This vulnerability could be remotely exploited to allow Arbitrary Code Execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6488 represents a critical arbitrary code execution flaw within Micro Focus Universal CMDB versions 4.10, 4.11, and 4.12. This security weakness resides in the software's handling of user input within specific processing functions, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious code on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of input parameters that are processed by the application's core components, particularly affecting the data ingestion and processing modules that handle external inputs from network sources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of input data that flows into the application's processing pipeline without adequate security controls. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable software, trigger unintended code execution within the application context. This flaw operates at the intersection of multiple security concerns including improper input validation, lack of proper sanitization mechanisms, and insufficient access controls around critical processing functions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-94, which specifically addresses "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1059.001 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Command Shell" as potential exploitation vectors.
From an operational standpoint, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise to potentially enable full system takeover by malicious actors. Organizations running affected versions of Universal CMDB face significant risk of unauthorized access, data exfiltration, system disruption, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The remote exploitability of this vulnerability means that attackers do not require physical access or local credentials to leverage the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such systems often serve as central repositories for critical configuration data and network mappings. The vulnerability affects the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the entire CMDB ecosystem, potentially compromising the accuracy of configuration management data that organizations rely upon for security operations and compliance reporting.
Security mitigations for CVE-2018-6488 should prioritize immediate implementation of vendor-provided patches and updates as released by Micro Focus. Organizations must conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software within their infrastructure and ensure proper network segmentation to limit exposure. Access controls should be strengthened around CMDB interfaces, and monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous code execution patterns or unexpected data processing activities. Network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to alert on suspicious traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should implement application whitelisting controls and disable unnecessary network services to reduce the attack surface. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patches in controlled environments before deployment to production systems, and comprehensive incident response procedures should be activated to address potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred prior to patch deployment.