CVE-2022-28629 in iLO 5
Summary
by MITRE • 08/12/2022
A local arbitrary code execution vulnerability was discovered in HPE Integrated Lights-Out 5 (iLO 5) firmware version(s): Prior to 2.71. A low privileged user could locally exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code resulting in a complete loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. HPE has provided a firmware update to resolve this vulnerability in HPE Integrated Lights-Out 5 (iLO 5).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-28629 represents a critical local arbitrary code execution flaw within HPE Integrated Lights-Out 5 (iLO 5) firmware systems. This issue affects all versions prior to 2.71 and demonstrates a fundamental security weakness that allows low privilege local users to escalate their privileges and execute malicious code on the target system. The vulnerability resides in the firmware implementation of the iLO 5 management interface, which is designed to provide out-of-band management capabilities for HPE servers. The affected system architecture creates an environment where local attackers can exploit a flaw in the privilege handling mechanisms to gain unauthorized code execution privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and privilege separation within the iLO 5 firmware components. When a local user with minimal system access attempts to interact with specific firmware interfaces, the system fails to properly validate the user's privileges before executing potentially dangerous operations. This weakness creates a pathway for privilege escalation where the attacker can leverage the system's own mechanisms to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability operates at the firmware level, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses traditional operating system security controls and can affect the underlying system integrity. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-264, which covers permissions, privileges, and access control weaknesses, specifically manifesting as a privilege escalation vulnerability.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-28629 is severe and encompasses complete compromise of the affected system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Once successfully exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the highest privileges available within the firmware environment, potentially leading to full system takeover. The compromise affects the management interface's security posture, enabling attackers to access sensitive system information, modify critical configuration parameters, and potentially gain persistent access to the managed server. This vulnerability particularly impacts enterprise server management environments where iLO 5 is deployed, as it undermines the security foundation that these management interfaces are designed to provide. The risk is elevated because the attack requires only local access, making it accessible to anyone with physical or network access to the system.
Organizations should immediately implement the firmware update provided by HPE to address this vulnerability, as version 2.71 contains the necessary patches to resolve the privilege escalation flaw. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive inventory management to identify all affected iLO 5 systems and ensure timely deployment of the security update. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit local access to management interfaces, while continuous monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation indicators and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing firmware-level attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of firmware security in enterprise environments, as highlighted by ATT&CK framework's firmware tampering techniques that can provide persistent access to target systems. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the firmware updates in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility and avoid operational disruptions.