CVE-2017-13983
📋 TL;DR
This critical authentication bypass vulnerability in HPE BSM Platform Application Performance Management System Health allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access without valid credentials. Affected organizations using HPE BSM Platform versions 9.26, 9.30, and 9.40 are at risk of complete system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- HPE BSM Platform Application Performance Management System Health
📦 What is this software?
Bsm Platform Application Performance Management System Health by Hp
View all CVEs affecting Bsm Platform Application Performance Management System Health →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system takeover with administrative privileges, data exfiltration, lateral movement across network, and persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive performance monitoring data, configuration manipulation, and potential privilege escalation to full system control.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if system is isolated behind strict network segmentation and access controls, though authentication bypass remains possible.
🎯 Exploit Status
Authentication bypass vulnerabilities typically have low exploitation complexity, and this CVSS 9.8 score indicates trivial exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to version 9.41 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://softwaresupport.hpe.com/km/KM02942065
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the latest patch from HPE support portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Apply the patch following HPE's installation guide. 4. Restart the application services. 5. Verify successful update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Isolation
allRestrict network access to the BSM Platform to only trusted administrative networks
Use firewall rules to limit access: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [BSM_PORT] -s [TRUSTED_NETWORK] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [BSM_PORT] -j DROP
Access Control Lists
linuxImplement additional authentication layers such as VPN or reverse proxy with authentication
Configure Apache/Nginx reverse proxy with basic auth: htpasswd -c /etc/nginx/.htpasswd admin
nginx configuration: auth_basic 'Restricted'; auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Immediately isolate the vulnerable system from internet and untrusted networks using firewall rules
- Implement network segmentation and monitor all access attempts to the BSM Platform interface
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the BSM Platform version via web interface or configuration files. Versions 9.26, 9.30, or 9.40 indicate vulnerability.Check Version:
Check web interface login page or configuration files for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 9.41 or later and test authentication requirements for all access paths.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful access without valid credentials
- Access from unexpected IP addresses without proper authentication logs
- Administrative actions from unauthenticated users
Network Indicators:
- Direct HTTP/HTTPS requests to BSM Platform endpoints without preceding authentication requests
- Unusual traffic patterns to BSM Platform from external or unauthorized sources
SIEM Query:
source="bsm_platform.log" AND (event_type="access" AND NOT auth_success="true") OR (event_type="admin_action" AND user="unknown")