CVE-2024-37130 in OpenManage Server Administrator
Summary
by MITRE • 06/11/2024
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator, versions 11.0.1.0 and prior, contains a Local Privilege Escalation vulnerability via XSL Hijacking. A local low-privileged malicious user could potentially exploit this vulnerability and escalate their privilege to the admin user and gain full control of the machine. Exploitation may lead to a complete system compromise.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37130 affects Dell OpenManage Server Administrator versions 11.0.1.0 and earlier, presenting a significant local privilege escalation risk through XSL hijacking techniques. This flaw resides within the software's handling of XML Stylesheet Language transformations, creating an attack vector that allows low-privileged users to elevate their system access rights. The vulnerability specifically targets the XSLT processing mechanisms employed by the OpenManage Server Administrator interface, which is commonly used for system monitoring and management tasks within enterprise environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the XSL processing components of the software. When the application processes XSLT transformations, it fails to properly validate user-supplied XML data, allowing malicious actors to inject crafted XSLT code that can execute with elevated privileges. This represents a classic case of insufficient privilege separation and inadequate sandboxing mechanisms within the application's XML processing pipeline. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate the XSLT transformation process to gain administrative access rights, effectively bypassing normal user authentication and authorization controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation grants attackers complete control over the target system. This comprehensive access allows malicious users to modify system configurations, install unauthorized software, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where OpenManage Server Administrator is deployed for critical system monitoring and management functions. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to compromise entire server fleets or use the elevated privileges to pivot to other network systems, making this a particularly dangerous vulnerability for IT infrastructure security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-37130 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions 11.0.2.0 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the XSL hijacking vulnerability. Organizations should also implement strict access controls and monitoring of OpenManage Server Administrator processes, particularly focusing on user authentication logs and privilege escalation attempts. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-74 and CWE-20 categories related to improper neutralization of special elements used in XSLT expressions and input validation issues. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be leveraged for lateral movement within compromised environments, making it a critical concern for cybersecurity teams responsible for protecting enterprise server infrastructure.