CVE-2020-5374 in OpenManage Integration
Summary
by MITRE
Dell EMC OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC) for SCCM and SCVMM versions prior to 7.2.1 contain a hard-coded cryptographic key vulnerability. A remote unauthenticated attacker may exploit this vulnerability to gain access to the appliance data for remotely managed devices.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2020
The CVE-2020-5374 vulnerability affects Dell EMC OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center OMIMSSC components used in SCCM and SCVMM environments. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the cryptographic implementation of the management appliance that serves as a bridge between Dell EMC OpenManage and Microsoft System Center platforms. The vulnerability stems from the inclusion of a hard-coded cryptographic key within the software components, which fundamentally undermines the security model designed to protect sensitive device management data and communications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a hardcoded encryption key that is embedded within the OMIMSSC software binaries and configuration files. This cryptographic weakness allows an attacker to reverse-engineer or discover the static key through various means including code analysis, network traffic inspection, or exploitation of other adjacent vulnerabilities. The hard-coded nature of the key means that it cannot be rotated or updated without a software patch, creating a persistent security risk that spans across multiple versions of the affected software. According to CWE-327, this vulnerability directly maps to the weakness of using weak or hardcoded cryptographic keys, which is a well-documented pattern that violates fundamental security principles for cryptographic implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as it provides attackers with the ability to decrypt sensitive information related to remotely managed devices within the Microsoft System Center environment. This includes potentially exposing device configurations, management credentials, and other operational data that would normally remain protected. Attackers could leverage this access to escalate their privileges within the management infrastructure, potentially leading to complete compromise of the managed device ecosystem. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the appliance that facilitates communication between Dell EMC OpenManage and Microsoft System Center platforms, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by remote unauthenticated adversaries without requiring any prior access credentials.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1552.001 for unsecured credentials and T1046 for network service scanning. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it affects enterprise environments where system center management platforms are commonly deployed, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to establish persistent access within corporate networks. Organizations using affected versions of OMIMSSC should immediately implement mitigation strategies including software updates, network segmentation, and monitoring for unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic key management practices and the dangers of embedding static keys within production software, particularly in enterprise management platforms that handle sensitive operational data.
This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the security implications of hardcoded cryptographic materials and the importance of implementing proper key rotation mechanisms. The affected versions of OMIMSSC represent a significant risk to organizations that rely on integrated management platforms for their data center operations, as the compromised cryptographic keys could potentially enable attackers to decrypt communications between management systems and managed devices. Organizations should conduct immediate vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software and implement appropriate controls to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The remediation process requires careful consideration of the update deployment schedule and potential impact on existing management operations, while also ensuring that the updated software versions properly address the cryptographic weaknesses that made the original implementation vulnerable to exploitation.