CVE-2020-7170
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-7170 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 affects iMC PLAT versions prior to 7.3 (E0705P07). Attackers can exploit this without authentication to gain complete control over vulnerable 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 code, steal sensitive data, deploy ransomware, pivot to other network systems, and maintain persistent access.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to data exfiltration, installation of backdoors, and lateral movement within the network.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation, strict access controls, and monitoring are in place, though exploitation risk remains high.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation is straightforward with publicly available proof-of-concept code. The vulnerability requires minimal technical skill to exploit.
🛠️ 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 data. 3. Apply the patch following HPE's installation guide. 4. Restart the iMC services. 5. Verify the patch was successfully applied.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
allRestrict network access to iMC management interface to only trusted IP addresses
# Use firewall rules to restrict access
# Example: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -s trusted_ip -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -j DROP
Disable Unnecessary Services
linuxDisable or restrict access to vulnerable iMC components if not required
# Review and disable unnecessary iMC services
# Check service status: systemctl list-units --type=service | grep imc
# Stop service: systemctl stop imc_service_name
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Immediately isolate affected systems from internet and restrict network access to minimum required
- Implement strict network segmentation and monitor all traffic to/from iMC systems for suspicious activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check iMC version via web interface (Admin → System → About) or command line: grep -i version /opt/iMC/client/conf/version.propertiesCheck Version:
grep -i version /opt/iMC/client/conf/version.propertiesVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 7.3 (E0705P07) or later and test that expression language injection attempts are blocked📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to iMC endpoints
- Expression language syntax in HTTP parameters
- Unexpected process execution from iMC service account
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from iMC server
- HTTP requests containing expression language payloads
- Traffic to known malicious IPs from iMC system
SIEM Query:
source="iMC_logs" AND (http_method="POST" AND (uri_path="*select*" OR http_params="*${*" OR http_params="*#{"))