CVE-2016-4372 – This vulnerability allows remote attackers to e... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2016-4372?

CVE-2016-4372 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected HPE iMC products by sending a specially crafted serialized Java object. It exploits a known issue in the Apache Commons Collections library. Organizations running vulnerable versions of HPE iMC PLAT, EAD, APM, NTA, BIMS, or UAM_TAM are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected HPE iMC products by sending a specially crafted serialized Java object. It exploits a known issue in the Apache Commons Collections library. Organizations running vulnerable versions of HPE iMC PLAT, EAD, APM, NTA, BIMS, or UAM_TAM are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

HPE iMC PLAT
HPE iMC EAD
HPE iMC APM
HPE iMC NTA
HPE iMC BIMS
HPE iMC UAM_TAM

Versions: All versions before 7.2 with specific patch levels: PLAT before E0403P04, EAD before E0405P05, APM before E0401P04, NTA before E0401P01, BIMS before E0402P02, UAM_TAM before E0405P05

Operating Systems: Any OS running affected HPE iMC software

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Vulnerability exists in the Apache Commons Collections library used by these products. No special configuration required for exploitation.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands with system-level privileges, potentially leading to data theft, lateral movement, and persistent backdoors.

🟠

Likely Case

Remote code execution leading to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and installation of malware or ransomware on affected systems.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if systems are isolated, patched, or have network controls preventing exploitation attempts.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploit code is publicly available and relatively easy to use. The vulnerability leverages a known Java deserialization flaw in Apache Commons Collections.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: PLAT 7.2 E0403P04, EAD 7.2 E0405P05, APM 7.2 E0401P04, NTA 7.2 E0401P01, BIMS 7.2 E0402P02, UAM_TAM 7.2 E0405P05

Vendor Advisory: https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05200601

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download appropriate patches from HPE support portal. 2. Apply patches according to HPE documentation. 3. Restart affected services. 4. Verify patch installation.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Segmentation

all

Restrict network access to affected systems to only trusted sources

WAF/IPS Rules

all

Implement rules to block Java serialized object payloads

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate affected systems from internet and untrusted networks
Implement strict network access controls and monitor for exploitation attempts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check iMC version against affected versions list. Review system logs for Java deserialization errors or suspicious network traffic.

Check Version:

Check iMC web interface or administration console for version information

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify installed version matches patched versions. Test with known exploit payloads (in controlled environment) to confirm mitigation.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Java deserialization errors
Unexpected process execution
Suspicious network connections from iMC services

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests containing serialized Java objects to iMC endpoints
Unusual outbound connections from iMC servers

SIEM Query:

source="iMC" AND ("deserialization" OR "CommonsCollections" OR suspicious_process_execution)

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2016-4372

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-20

Published: July 15, 2016

Last Updated: April 12, 2025

🔗 References

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