CVE-2020-7168
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-7168 is a critical expression language injection vulnerability in HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC) that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability exists in the selectusergroup functionality and can be exploited without authentication. Organizations running iMC PLAT versions prior to 7.3 (E0705P07) are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- HPE Intelligent Management Center (iMC)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attacker to execute arbitrary commands, install malware, steal sensitive data, and pivot to other network resources.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to data exfiltration, installation of backdoors, or ransomware deployment on the iMC server.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation, strict access controls, and monitoring are in place to detect exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is in expression language processing and requires minimal technical skill to exploit. Public proof-of-concept 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 iMC PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) patch from HPE support portal. 2. Backup current iMC installation and database. 3. Apply the patch following HPE's installation guide. 4. Restart iMC services. 5. Verify the patch was applied successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
allRestrict network access to iMC management interface to only trusted IP addresses or internal networks.
Use firewall rules to limit access: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [iMC_port] -s [trusted_IP] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [iMC_port] -j DROP
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy a WAF with rules to detect and block expression language injection attempts.
Configure WAF rules to block requests containing expression language patterns: ${, #{, %{
Enable RCE protection rules
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Immediately isolate the iMC server from internet access and restrict internal network access to only necessary administrative systems.
- Implement strict monitoring and alerting for suspicious activity on the iMC server, including unexpected process execution and network connections.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check iMC version via web interface: Login to iMC > Help > About. If version is prior to PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07), system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On iMC server: grep -i version /opt/iMC/client/conf/version.properties (Linux) or check Program Files\iMC\client\conf\version.properties (Windows)Verify Fix Applied:
After patching, verify version shows iMC PLAT 7.3 (E0705P07) or later in Help > About. Test selectusergroup functionality to ensure it works without errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual expression language patterns in web logs: ${, #{, %{
- Unexpected process execution from iMC web service
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful exploitation
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from iMC server
- Traffic to known malicious IPs from iMC server
- Unexpected port scanning from iMC server
SIEM Query:
source="iMC_logs" AND ("${*" OR "#{*" OR "%{*") OR (process="cmd.exe" OR process="powershell.exe" OR process="/bin/sh") AND parent_process="iMC_web_service"