CVE-2019-5352
📋 TL;DR
A remote code execution vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC) PLAT allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects all systems running IMC PLAT versions earlier than 7.3 E0506P09. The vulnerability is rated critical with a CVSS score of 9.8.
💻 Affected Systems
- HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC) PLAT
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, pivot to other network systems, and establish persistent backdoors.
Likely Case
Attackers gain full control of the IMC server, potentially compromising network management functions and accessing credentials for managed devices.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation and access controls prevent exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation is straightforward with publicly available proof-of-concept code. No authentication required.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 7.3 E0506P09 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03930en_us
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download patch from HPE support portal. 2. Backup current IMC installation. 3. Apply patch following HPE documentation. 4. Restart IMC services. 5. Verify successful update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
allRestrict network access to IMC management interface to trusted IP addresses only.
Use firewall rules to limit access to IMC ports (typically 8080, 8443) to authorized management networks
Segmentation
allPlace IMC server in isolated management network segment with strict access controls.
Implement VLAN segmentation and firewall rules to isolate IMC from general network traffic
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Immediately isolate the IMC server from internet access and restrict internal access to essential personnel only.
- Implement network monitoring and intrusion detection specifically for IMC traffic to detect exploitation attempts.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check IMC version via web interface (Help > About) or check installation directory version files.Check Version:
Check IMC installation directory for version.txt or use web interface at https://[imc-server]:8443/imcVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version shows 7.3 E0506P09 or later in IMC web interface.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from IMC service account
- Suspicious network connections from IMC server
- Authentication failures followed by successful exploitation patterns
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from IMC server
- Exploit-specific payload patterns in network traffic to IMC ports
SIEM Query:
source="imc-server" AND (event_type="process_creation" AND process_name NOT IN ("normal_imc_processes")) OR (destination_port=8080 OR destination_port=8443) AND suspicious_payload_patterns