CVE-2020-7166 in Intelligent Management Center
Summary
by MITRE • 10/20/2020
A operatorgrouptreeselectcontent expression language injection remote code execution vulnerability was discovered in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) version(s): Prior to iMC PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2020-7166 represents a critical remote code execution flaw in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) platforms that affects versions prior to iMC PLAT 7.3 E0705P07. This vulnerability resides within the operatorgrouptreeselectcontent expression language injection mechanism, which allows attackers to inject malicious expressions that can be evaluated by the system's underlying processing engine. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the expression language processing components that handle operator group tree selection content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of expression language parameters that are processed without adequate security controls. When the iMC platform processes user-supplied input through the operatorgrouptreeselectcontent functionality, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the expressions before execution. This creates a condition where an attacker can craft malicious input that gets interpreted as executable code within the expression language context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-94, which specifically addresses "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1059.001 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Command Shell."
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems with the privileges of the iMC application. Successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing threat actors to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, and potentially move laterally within network environments. The vulnerability affects the core management capabilities of HPE iMC, which typically serves as a central management platform for network infrastructure, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to gain control over critical network operations. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network presence to leverage this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-7166 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to iMC PLAT 7.3 E0705P07 or later versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to iMC platforms and restrict administrative access through firewalls and access control lists. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for unusual expression language usage patterns, implementing robust input validation controls, and conducting regular security assessments of management platform configurations. Security teams should also consider implementing network detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically for managing such remote code execution vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in preventing expression language injection attacks that can lead to complete system compromise.