CVE-2021-23288 in Intelligent Power Protector
Summary
by MITRE • 04/02/2022
The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of input from certain resources by the IPP software. The attacker would need access to the local Subnet and an administrator interaction to compromise the system. This issue affects: Intelligent Power Protector versions prior to 1.69.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-23288 represents a critical input validation flaw within the Intelligent Power Protector (IPP) software ecosystem. This issue stems from inadequate sanitization and validation mechanisms that process data from specific system resources, creating potential attack vectors for malicious actors who can leverage these weaknesses to compromise system integrity. The vulnerability specifically impacts IPP software versions prior to 1.69, indicating that organizations running older iterations of this power management solution face heightened risk exposure. The flaw manifests in the software's failure to properly validate and sanitize inputs received from various subsystems, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious data that could disrupt normal operations or escalate privileges.
The attack vector for this vulnerability requires specific prerequisites that limit its immediate exploitability but do not eliminate the threat entirely. An attacker must first gain access to the local subnet, which typically represents a significant initial hurdle as it requires either physical access to network infrastructure or successful network infiltration through other means. Additionally, the vulnerability necessitates administrator interaction to achieve full compromise, suggesting that while the initial exploitation may not be fully automated, successful execution would require some form of social engineering or privilege escalation that could involve legitimate administrative activities. This requirement for administrator interaction actually provides some mitigation but does not eliminate the risk entirely, as it may involve targeted attacks against specific administrative users or processes.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security. The issue demonstrates how insufficient validation of system inputs can lead to cascading security failures, particularly when dealing with power management systems that often operate with elevated privileges and direct hardware access. The IPP software, designed to manage and monitor power distribution systems, operates in a critical infrastructure environment where security failures can have severe operational consequences. When input validation fails, attackers can potentially manipulate the software's behavior through crafted data inputs that may cause unexpected execution paths, data corruption, or unauthorized privilege escalation within the power management framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or denial of service conditions. Power management systems like IPP software often serve as critical components in maintaining system stability and preventing hardware damage during power fluctuations or outages. A compromised IPP system could potentially lead to improper power management decisions, including failure to shut down systems properly during power loss, incorrect power distribution to critical components, or complete power management system failure. This could result in significant business disruption, hardware damage, or even safety hazards in environments where power management directly impacts operational continuity. The vulnerability's potential to affect system stability makes it particularly concerning for enterprise environments that rely on automated power management for server farms, data centers, or industrial control systems.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to IPP version 1.69 or later, which presumably contains the necessary input validation fixes. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit subnet access to authorized personnel only, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing proper input validation mechanisms throughout all system components. Security teams should also consider implementing principle of least privilege configurations for IPP software, limiting administrative access to only essential personnel and requiring multi-factor authentication for all administrative activities. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical nature of input validation in security-critical systems and the potential consequences of inadequate validation mechanisms in power management infrastructure.