CVE-2020-7152
📋 TL;DR
This CVE-2020-7152 is a critical expression language injection vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. It affects iMC PLAT versions prior to 7.3 (E0705P07). Organizations using vulnerable iMC deployments are at risk of complete system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with administrative access, data exfiltration, lateral movement to connected systems, and persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Unauthenticated remote code execution leading to service disruption, credential theft, and deployment of ransomware or crypto-miners.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if network segmentation isolates iMC systems and strict access controls prevent exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Expression language injection vulnerabilities typically have low exploitation complexity, and public PoCs exist for similar vulnerabilities in iMC.
🛠️ 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 iMC PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) patch from HPE support portal. 2. Backup current iMC configuration and database. 3. Apply the patch following HPE's installation guide. 4. Restart iMC services. 5. Verify successful update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate iMC systems from untrusted networks and implement strict firewall rules.
Access Control Lists
allRestrict access to iMC web interface to trusted IP addresses only.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Immediately isolate the iMC system from production networks and internet access
- Implement strict network segmentation and monitor for any exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check iMC version via web interface: Login > Help > About iMC, or check installation directory version files.Check Version:
On Windows: Check C:\Program Files\iMC\client\bin\version.txt. On Linux: Check /opt/iMC/client/bin/version.txtVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version shows iMC PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) or later in About iMC dialog.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual expression language patterns in iMC logs
- Unexpected process execution from iMC services
- Authentication bypass attempts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from iMC server
- Exploit kit traffic patterns targeting iMC ports
SIEM Query:
source="iMC_logs" AND ("expression" OR "injection" OR "remote code")