CVE-2020-7142
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an expression language injection vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. Attackers can exploit this by sending specially crafted requests to vulnerable iMC instances. Organizations running affected iMC versions are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise allowing attacker to execute arbitrary commands with system privileges, potentially leading to data theft, lateral movement, or complete network takeover.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to installation of malware, backdoors, or ransomware on the iMC server.
If Mitigated
If proper network segmentation and access controls are in place, impact may be limited to the iMC server itself.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending crafted HTTP requests to vulnerable endpoints. Public exploit code exists.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: iMC PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) or later
Vendor Advisory: https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbnw04036en_us
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the patch from HPE support portal. 2. Backup current iMC installation. 3. Apply the 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
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy WAF with rules to detect and block expression language injection attempts
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate iMC server in separate network segment with strict firewall rules
- Implement network monitoring and IDS/IPS to detect exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check iMC version via web interface or command line. Versions prior to PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) are vulnerable.Check Version:
On Windows: Check iMC installation directory for version files. On Linux: Check /opt/iMC/ directory or use iMC web interface.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify iMC version is PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) or later after applying patch.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual HTTP requests to iMC endpoints
- Expression language patterns in request logs
- Unexpected process execution from iMC service
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing expression language syntax to iMC ports
- Outbound connections from iMC server to suspicious IPs
SIEM Query:
source="iMC_logs" AND ("${*" OR "#{" OR "${")