CVE-2020-7164
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-7164 is a critical expression language injection vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code without authentication. This affects iMC PLAT versions prior to 7.3 (E0705P07). Attackers can exploit this to gain complete control over affected systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, steal sensitive data, deploy ransomware, or pivot to other network systems.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to data exfiltration, installation of backdoors, or disruption of network management services.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if systems are isolated, patched, or have network access controls preventing exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit code exists and requires minimal technical skill to execute. No authentication required for exploitation.
🛠️ 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 iMC PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) or later from HPE support portal. 2. Backup current configuration and data. 3. Apply the patch following HPE's installation guide. 4. Restart iMC services. 5. Verify successful update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allRestrict network access to iMC management interface to trusted IP addresses only
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy WAF with rules to block expression language injection patterns
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Immediately isolate affected systems from internet and restrict internal network access
- Implement strict network monitoring and alerting for suspicious activity targeting iMC
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check iMC version via web interface or configuration files. If version is prior to PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07), system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check iMC web interface login page or examine iMC installation directory version filesVerify Fix Applied:
Verify iMC version shows PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) or later. Test that expression language injection attempts are blocked.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual expression language patterns in web logs
- Multiple failed injection attempts
- Unexpected process execution from iMC
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing expression language payloads to iMC endpoints
- Outbound connections from iMC to unexpected destinations
SIEM Query:
source="iMC_logs" AND ("${*" OR "#{" OR "%{")