CVE-2019-11944 in Intelligent Management Center PLAT
Summary
by MITRE
A remote code execution vulnerability was identified in HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC) PLAT earlier than version 7.3 E0506P09.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2019-11944 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within HPE Intelligent Management Center PLAT software versions prior to 7.3 E0506P09. This issue resides in the web-based management interface of the IMC platform, which serves as a comprehensive network management solution for enterprise environments. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the application's processing of user-supplied data, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on the target system. Organizations relying on HPE IMC for network infrastructure management face significant operational risks due to this weakness.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific flaw in how the application handles certain HTTP parameters during authentication and session management processes. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious requests that bypass authentication mechanisms and inject malicious payloads into the system. The vulnerability specifically affects the way the platform processes user input in its web interface components, allowing for command injection attacks that can escalate privileges and ultimately provide full system control. This weakness aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, representing command injection and code execution vulnerabilities respectively, which are commonly exploited in enterprise network management systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access. Network administrators managing critical infrastructure through HPE IMC become vulnerable to attackers who can manipulate network configurations, steal sensitive data, or use the compromised system as a launch point for lateral movement within the enterprise network. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that IMC systems often serve as central management points for large-scale network deployments, making a single compromised instance potentially devastating to organizational security posture. This vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1078 for valid accounts.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to HPE IMC PLAT version 7.3 E0506P09 or later, which includes patched implementations of input validation and authentication mechanisms. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to IMC management interfaces from untrusted networks. Additional protective measures include enabling multi-factor authentication, implementing strict access controls, and conducting regular security assessments of the management infrastructure. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns and unauthorized code execution attempts. Organizations should also maintain detailed audit logs of all administrative activities and implement intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The remediation process should include thorough vulnerability scanning across all network management systems to identify potential exposure points and ensure complete patch deployment across all affected instances.