CVE-2018-7951 in Server
Summary
by MITRE
The iBMC (Intelligent Baseboard Management Controller) of some Huawei servers have a JSON injection vulnerability due to insufficient input validation. An authenticated, remote attacker can launch a JSON injection to modify the password of administrator. Successful exploit may allow attackers to obtain the management privilege of the system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2023
The CVE-2018-7951 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Huawei's iBMC (Intelligent Baseboard Management Controller) systems that affects numerous server models. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the JSON processing components of the management controller, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate system configurations through crafted JSON payloads. The iBMC serves as the primary out-of-band management interface for Huawei servers, providing administrators with remote access to system monitoring, configuration, and control functions. As a foundational component of server infrastructure management, the iBMC's security is paramount to maintaining overall system integrity and preventing unauthorized access to critical hardware resources.
The technical implementation of this JSON injection vulnerability occurs when the iBMC system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied JSON data before processing it within the authentication and authorization framework. This insufficient validation allows an attacker who has already established legitimate credentials to exploit the flaw by injecting malicious JSON content that modifies administrative password parameters. The vulnerability specifically targets the password modification functionality within the iBMC interface, where JSON data structures are used to communicate administrative commands and configuration changes. When the system processes these malformed JSON inputs, it inadvertently executes unintended code sequences that alter the target user's password, effectively granting the attacker unauthorized administrative access to the management interface.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7951 extends far beyond simple password modification, as successful exploitation provides attackers with complete administrative privileges over the affected server's management interface. This elevated access level enables malicious actors to perform a wide range of unauthorized activities including system configuration changes, firmware updates, monitoring of system events, and potential lateral movement within network environments. The remote and authenticated nature of this vulnerability means that attackers do not require physical access to the hardware, and the attack can be executed from any location with network connectivity to the affected system. From an attack chain perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the credential access and defense evasion categories where attackers can establish persistent access through administrative account compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability face significant security risks including potential system takeover, data exfiltration, and disruption of critical infrastructure services. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where Huawei servers are deployed for mission-critical applications, as unauthorized access to management interfaces can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-774 (Insufficient Validation of Input) highlights the fundamental flaw in the input sanitization process, while its exploitation pattern corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1548.001 (Abuse of Functionality). Security teams must implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Huawei, network segmentation of management interfaces, and enhanced monitoring of authentication activities. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential injection points within their server management infrastructure and establish robust access controls to limit the impact of such vulnerabilities in their operational environments.