CVE-2022-38652 in Hyperic Agent
Summary
by MITRE • 11/12/2022
** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED ** A remote insecure deserialization vulnerability exixsts in VMWare Hyperic Agent 5.8.6. Exploitation of this vulnerability enables a malicious authenticated user to run arbitrary code or malware within a Hyperic Agent instance and its host operating system with the privileges of the Hyperic Agent process (often SYSTEM on Windows platforms). NOTE: prior exploitation of CVE-2022-38650 results in the disclosure of the authentication material required to exploit this vulnerability. NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-38652 represents a critical remote insecure deserialization flaw within VMware Hyperic Agent version 5.8.6, a monitoring and management tool that has since reached end-of-life status. This vulnerability falls under the category of insecure deserialization as defined by CWE-502, where the application processes untrusted data through deserialization mechanisms without adequate validation or sanitization. The flaw specifically exists in how the Hyperic Agent handles serialized data structures, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary code within the target environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the deserialization layer, where attackers can manipulate serialized objects to trigger unintended behavior during object reconstruction.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker who can successfully pass the initial authentication barrier. The prerequisite for exploitation is the disclosure of authentication credentials, which typically occurs through prior exploitation of CVE-2022-38650, a related vulnerability that compromises the authentication material needed to access the Hyperic Agent. Once authenticated, the malicious user can craft specially crafted serialized data that, when processed by the vulnerable deserialization mechanism, triggers arbitrary code execution within the context of the Hyperic Agent process. This execution context is particularly concerning as the Hyperic Agent often runs with elevated privileges, frequently operating as SYSTEM on Windows platforms, thereby granting attackers full control over the host operating system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with complete system compromise capabilities. The privilege escalation aspect means that even if the initial attack vector is through a low-privilege account, the vulnerability allows for elevation to system-level privileges, enabling attackers to manipulate system files, install persistent backdoors, access sensitive data, and potentially establish lateral movement within the network. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, as it allows for both code execution and privilege escalation within the target environment. The fact that this vulnerability affects unsupported software means that organizations may have limited options for remediation, as vendor support and security patches are no longer available.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should consider immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate Hyperic Agent instances, implementing strict access controls and authentication mechanisms, and conducting thorough network monitoring for suspicious deserialization activity. The vulnerability's exploitation requires authentication, making strong credential management and multi-factor authentication crucial defensive measures. Additionally, organizations should perform comprehensive asset inventories to identify all instances of the vulnerable Hyperic Agent software and consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts. Given that this vulnerability affects unsupported software, the recommended long-term solution involves migrating to supported monitoring platforms and implementing robust patch management processes to prevent similar vulnerabilities in current systems. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regularly reviewing and decommissioning legacy systems that no longer receive security updates, as these represent significant attack vectors that organizations cannot adequately protect.