CVE-2019-11956 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-2019-11956 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC) PLAT software versions prior to 7.3 E0506P09. This vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface of the IMC platform, which serves as a centralized network management solution for enterprise environments. The affected system operates by providing administrators with web-based access to manage various network devices including switches, routers, and security appliances through a unified console. The flaw specifically manifests in the handling of user-supplied input within the web application layer, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on the target system with the privileges of the web application process.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the IMC platform's web interface components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP requests that contain specially formatted payloads designed to bypass existing security controls. This particular flaw falls under the category of CWE-77 and CWE-94 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, representing improper input validation and code injection vulnerabilities respectively. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute commands on the target system without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for network administrators who rely on centralized management platforms. The attack vector typically involves sending malformed requests to specific endpoints within the IMC web application that process user input without adequate sanitization measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-11956 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access. Network administrators managing large enterprise environments using IMC platforms face significant risk of lateral movement within their networks, as the compromised system could serve as a launch point for attacks against other connected devices. The vulnerability affects organizations that depend on HPE IMC for network monitoring, configuration management, and device provisioning, potentially exposing critical infrastructure to unauthorized control. Organizations using older versions of IMC software may experience service disruption, data exfiltration, and complete network infrastructure compromise. The lack of authentication requirements for exploitation means that attackers can target these systems from anywhere on the internet, making them particularly attractive targets for automated scanning campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-11956 require immediate action from affected organizations to upgrade to HPE IMC version 7.3 E0506P09 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the vulnerability. Network segmentation and firewall rule implementation should be considered as temporary measures while permanent upgrades are underway, restricting access to the IMC management interface to trusted networks only. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect suspicious traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts against the vulnerable web interface. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their network management infrastructure to identify any other systems running affected versions of HPE IMC software. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python) as exploitation techniques, with potential lateral movement through network discovery and privilege escalation activities. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation controls can provide additional layers of protection against similar input validation flaws in the meantime.