CVE-2019-1908 in Integrated Management Controller
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) implementation of Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive system information. The vulnerability is due to insufficient security restrictions imposed by the affected software. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive information that belongs to other users. The attacker could then use this information to conduct additional attacks.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-1908 affects the Intelligent Platform Management Interface implementation within Cisco Integrated Management Controller firmware, representing a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of system monitoring and management protocols. This flaw exists within the IPMI subsystem that governs remote system management capabilities, specifically targeting the authorization mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized access to sensitive operational data. The vulnerability manifests as inadequate access controls that fail to properly enforce security boundaries between different user sessions and system information domains, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass normal authentication requirements. The affected Cisco IMC implementations typically operate within data center environments where they provide crucial remote management capabilities for server hardware maintenance and monitoring operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within the IPMI processing stack of the affected Cisco devices. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific network requests that leverage the IPMI protocol's inherent capabilities to query system information without proper authentication credentials. This flaw operates at the protocol level where the IMC firmware fails to properly validate session contexts and user permissions when processing incoming management requests. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows an attacker to perform information disclosure attacks that can reveal sensitive data including system configuration details, user credentials, and operational parameters that would normally be restricted to authorized administrators. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates weaknesses in the access control model implemented within the firmware's IPMI stack.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-1908 extends beyond simple information disclosure to create significant risk for enterprise environments that rely on IPMI for system management. An unauthenticated attacker could potentially gather intelligence about target systems including hardware configurations, firmware versions, and operational status information that could be used to plan more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability enables reconnaissance activities that could reveal network topology details, management interface configurations, and other sensitive information that would typically require legitimate administrative access. This intelligence gathering capability allows attackers to conduct targeted exploitation campaigns against other system components or to perform social engineering attacks against personnel with access to the affected systems. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can leverage this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, potentially bypassing traditional network security controls that would normally protect internal systems from external threats.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation to address this vulnerability, beginning with immediate firmware updates from Cisco that address the access control flaws within the IPMI implementation. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to isolate management interfaces from general network traffic, limiting the attack surface for potential exploitation attempts. Access control lists and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to IPMI ports and services to trusted administrative networks only. The implementation of network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous IPMI traffic patterns may help identify exploitation attempts before they can successfully exfiltrate sensitive information. Organizations should also conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all affected Cisco IMC implementations and establish incident response procedures for detecting and responding to potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses inadequate access control and represents a significant concern for organizations operating within the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and credential access categories. The security implications of this flaw underscore the importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware and implementing robust network security controls to protect critical infrastructure components from remote exploitation attempts.