CVE-2018-7113 in Integrated Lights-Out 5
Summary
by MITRE
A security vulnerability in HPE Integrated Lights-Out 5 (iLO 5) prior to v1.37 could be locally exploited to bypass the security restrictions for firmware updates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7113 affects HPE Integrated Lights-Out 5 management processors running firmware versions prior to v1.37. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the system's firmware update mechanism, creating a pathway for unauthorized modifications that could compromise the entire server infrastructure. The issue specifically resides within the authentication and authorization controls that govern firmware update operations, allowing local attackers to circumvent established security boundaries.
This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient access control mechanisms within the iLO 5 firmware update process. The flaw enables attackers with local access to bypass the normal security restrictions that should prevent unauthorized firmware modifications, effectively undermining the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure system design. The vulnerability operates at the system level where firmware update operations are typically protected by robust authentication mechanisms, yet the flaw allows for privilege escalation through local exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential complete system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could install malicious firmware modifications that persist across reboots and system resets, effectively creating a persistent backdoor within the server's management infrastructure. This capability directly aligns with attack patterns described in the mitre att&ck framework under the T1068 technique for local privilege escalation and T1014 for rootkit detection evasion. The compromised management processor could then be used to maintain long-term access to the server environment while evading traditional security monitoring mechanisms.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe given that iLO 5 is designed to provide out-of-band management capabilities for HPE servers. When an attacker can bypass firmware update restrictions locally, they gain the ability to modify critical system components that control the server's operational behavior, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system disruption, or complete compromise of the managed infrastructure. This vulnerability represents a failure in the defense-in-depth principle where multiple security layers should protect against such attacks, yet the flaw creates a direct path through the security controls. Organizations using affected iLO 5 versions face significant risk of supply chain attacks or insider threats escalating to full system compromise.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate firmware updates to version 1.37 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the authentication bypass mechanism. Additionally, organizations should implement network segmentation to limit local access to management interfaces, deploy intrusion detection systems monitoring for unusual firmware update activities, and conduct thorough security assessments of their server management infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current firmware versions and implementing proper access controls for management interfaces. Security teams should also consider implementing continuous monitoring for unauthorized firmware modifications and establish clear procedures for validating firmware integrity through cryptographic signatures and checksums. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the essential nature of secure firmware update mechanisms and the potential consequences when these controls fail.