CVE-2019-5370 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-2019-5370 represents a critical remote code execution flaw in HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC) PLAT software versions prior to 7.3 E0506P09. This vulnerability resides within the web-based management interface of the IMC platform, which serves as a centralized system for network management and monitoring across enterprise environments. The affected system operates as a comprehensive network management solution that handles configuration management, monitoring, and administrative functions for HPE networking equipment and infrastructure components. The vulnerability specifically impacts the platform's handling of user-supplied input within its web interface components, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on the target system with the privileges of the running application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation mechanisms within the IMC PLAT web application. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that are processed by the system without adequate sanitization, leading to code injection attacks. This flaw allows unauthorized remote execution of commands on the affected server, potentially enabling full system compromise. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-77 and aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.001 for command and script injection. The flaw exploits the system's insufficient validation of user inputs passed through web forms and API endpoints, particularly affecting parameters related to configuration management and device monitoring functions. This weakness creates a persistent attack surface that can be leveraged by threat actors without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where such management systems are often exposed to external networks.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-5370 extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within network environments. Organizations utilizing affected IMC versions face significant risks including unauthorized access to network infrastructure, data exfiltration, and potential disruption of critical network services. The vulnerability affects enterprise network management operations where the IMC platform typically serves as a central hub for monitoring and controlling multiple network devices, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to gain persistent access to enterprise networks. Successful exploitation could result in the complete takeover of network management capabilities, allowing attackers to modify configurations, disable monitoring functions, and potentially establish backdoors for continued access. This vulnerability also impacts the integrity and availability of network management data, potentially causing service disruptions and compromising network security posture.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to HPE IMC PLAT version 7.3 E0506P09 or later, which contains patches addressing the input validation weaknesses. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit exposure of the IMC platform to untrusted networks, while firewall rules should restrict access to management interfaces to trusted IP addresses only. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify additional vulnerabilities within network management systems, and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patches in controlled environments before deployment to production systems to ensure compatibility with existing network management workflows. Security teams should also implement network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability, while maintaining updated threat intelligence feeds to track related attack patterns and indicators of compromise.