CVE-2019-5365 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-2019-5365 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 in specific web interfaces, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems without requiring authentication. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of input parameters within the web application's processing logic, allowing attackers to inject malicious commands that are subsequently executed with the privileges of the web server process. This issue affects organizations relying on HPE IMC for network management and monitoring, potentially compromising entire network infrastructures through unauthorized access to critical management functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a classic command injection attack vector where user-provided data is directly incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization or encoding. When legitimate users submit input through web forms or API endpoints, the application fails to adequately validate or escape special characters that could alter the intended command execution flow. This weakness enables attackers to append malicious commands that bypass normal access controls and execute with elevated privileges, potentially allowing full system compromise. The vulnerability specifically impacts the platform's web interface components and HTTP request processing mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard web browsers or automated attack tools. According to CWE classification, this represents a command injection vulnerability (CWE-77) that falls under the broader category of injection flaws, which are consistently ranked among the top security risks in the OWASP Top Ten.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-5365 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access for attackers. Organizations using affected HPE IMC versions face significant risks including data exfiltration, network reconnaissance, lateral movement capabilities, and potential disruption of critical network services. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the network, making it particularly attractive for automated scanning campaigns. Security teams must consider that compromised IMC platforms could provide attackers with visibility into network topology, device configurations, and management credentials, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks against connected infrastructure. The attack surface includes not only the immediate system but also any network resources that depend on the compromised management platform for configuration and monitoring functions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-5365 primarily focus on immediate software updates and network-level defenses. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to HPE IMC PLAT version 7.3 E0506P09 or later, which includes patches addressing the command injection vulnerability. Until updates can be deployed, network administrators should implement strict firewall rules to restrict access to affected web interfaces, limiting connections to trusted IP addresses only. Additional defensive measures include disabling unnecessary web services, implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests, and conducting thorough network monitoring for anomalous command execution patterns. Security teams should also review system logs for evidence of exploitation attempts and implement intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify command injection patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1071 (Application Layer Protocol) techniques, emphasizing the need for comprehensive network visibility and behavioral analysis to detect exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network management systems.