CVE-2019-5362 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 • 06/20/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2019-5362 represents a critical remote code execution flaw discovered in HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC) PLAT software versions prior to 7.3 E0506P09. This vulnerability resides within the platform's handling of user-supplied input during certain administrative operations, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw specifically manifests in the improper validation of input parameters within the web interface components, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that bypass authentication mechanisms and escalate privileges. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on HPE IMC for network management, monitoring, and automation tasks, potentially compromising entire network infrastructures.
This remote code execution vulnerability maps to CWE-74 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which describes "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component" and specifically relates to injection flaws that occur when untrusted data is sent to a downstream component without proper sanitization. The attack vector leverages the platform's web-based management interface where user input is processed without adequate validation, creating a pathway for attackers to execute commands with the privileges of the web application. The vulnerability operates through HTTP requests that contain malicious payloads, which when processed by the vulnerable IMC components, trigger arbitrary code execution on the target system. This represents a significant security gap that allows attackers to gain full administrative control over the affected management platform.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-5362 extends far beyond simple system compromise, as it provides attackers with complete control over network management functions within the affected environment. Organizations utilizing HPE IMC for critical network infrastructure management face potential exposure to data theft, network disruption, and lateral movement attacks that could compromise multiple network segments. The vulnerability enables attackers to install backdoors, modify network configurations, access sensitive operational data, and potentially use the compromised management platform as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network perimeter. This threat scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage system interfaces to execute commands. The impact is particularly severe for enterprise environments where network management platforms serve as central control points for critical infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with immediate deployment of HPE's official patches and updates for IMC PLAT versions 7.3 E0506P09 and later. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate the affected management systems from critical network segments, reducing the potential blast radius of exploitation. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious HTTP requests and unusual command execution patterns within the network traffic. Access controls should be strengthened through multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and regular security audits of management interfaces. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious requests before they reach the vulnerable components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect mission-critical network management platforms from sophisticated remote exploitation attempts.