CVE-2019-8352 in Patrol Agent
Summary
by MITRE
By default, BMC PATROL Agent through 11.3.01 uses a static encryption key for encrypting/decrypting user credentials sent over the network to managed PATROL Agent services. If an attacker were able to capture this network traffic, they could decrypt these credentials and use them to execute code or escalate privileges on the network.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-8352 affects BMC PATROL Agent versions through 11.3.01 and represents a critical weakness in the cryptographic implementation used for securing user credentials during network communication. This flaw stems from the use of a static encryption key that remains unchanged across all instances of the software, creating a persistent security risk that spans the entire deployment lifecycle. The vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of authentication data transmitted between management systems and monitored agents, potentially exposing sensitive credentials to unauthorized parties.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the network communication protocol used by BMC PATROL Agent for credential management. When user credentials are transmitted over the network to managed PATROL Agent services, they are encrypted using a hardcoded static key that is embedded within the software binaries. This approach violates fundamental cryptographic principles that require unique, randomly generated keys for each communication session. The static nature of the encryption key means that any network traffic interception can be decrypted using the same key, regardless of when or where the traffic was captured. This weakness falls under CWE-327, which specifically addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and hardcoded keys, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for unsecured credentials and T1078.002 for valid accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass potential privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised networks. An attacker who successfully captures network traffic containing encrypted credentials could decrypt them and use the stolen authentication information to access other systems, escalate privileges within the monitored environment, or execute arbitrary code on managed agents. The vulnerability affects the entire BMC PATROL ecosystem, potentially compromising all systems that rely on the agent for monitoring and management functions. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where PATROL Agents are deployed across multiple network segments and critical infrastructure components, as a single compromised communication channel could provide access to the entire monitored environment.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate PATROL Agent communications, deployment of network monitoring tools to detect and alert on suspicious traffic patterns, and implementation of additional authentication layers beyond the basic credential encryption. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to BMC PATROL Agent versions that address this vulnerability through proper cryptographic implementation with dynamic key generation and secure key management practices. Additional defensive measures include deploying network intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for PATROL Agent traffic anomalies, implementing strict access controls for network communication, and establishing regular security assessments to identify other potential cryptographic weaknesses in the monitoring infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions to monitor for unauthorized access attempts and credential misuse patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.