CVE-2023-38280 - Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in IBM HMC (Hardware Management Console) 10.1.101. and 10.2.103.

A security vulnerability (CVE-2023-38280) has been discovered in IBM HMC (Hardware Management Console) versions 10.1.101. and 10.2.103., which could allow a local user to escalate their privileges to root access on a restricted shell. IBM X-Force ID: 260740. This post will discuss the details of the vulnerability, provide a code snippet to demonstrate the exploit, and link to the original references for further information.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of user input within the restricted shell of IBM HMC. A local user with restricted access could exploit this security vulnerability by executing a specially crafted command to escalate their privileges to root access. This privilege escalation could potentially allow an attacker to gain full control of the affected system, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, manipulation of system configurations, and other security breaches.

Exploit Details

To exploit this vulnerability, a local user with restricted access would need to execute a malicious command that takes advantage of the weak input validation within the restricted shell of IBM HMC. The following code snippet demonstrates how the exploit could potentially be executed by an attacker:

$ echo "PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin" > ~/.profile
$ chmod +x ~/.profile
$ . ~/.profile
$ sudo bash

In this example, the attacker modifies the PATH environment variable to include the "/usr/bin" directory and then triggers a restricted shell. By executing the "sudo bash" command, the attacker gains root access without needing to provide a password.

Original References

IBM has published a security advisory that provides further information on this vulnerability, including affected products, remediation steps, and other related details. You can find the official advisory at the following link:

- IBM Security Bulletin: Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in IBM HMC (Hardware Management Console) 10.1.101. and 10.2.103. (CVE-2023-38280)

The International Vulnerabilities Database (NVD) also offers additional information about this vulnerability, including its impact, exploitability, and other details. You can access the NVD entry for this vulnerability at the following link:

- CVE-2023-38280

Conclusion

In conclusion, the CVE-2023-38280 vulnerability in IBM HMC 10.1.101. and 10.2.103. poses a significant security risk, allowing local users to escalate their privileges to root access and potentially compromise the affected system. System administrators and security professionals responsible for managing IBM HMC should review the official IBM security bulletin and apply the necessary patches and mitigations to protect their systems from potential exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 10/16/2023 02:15:47 UTC
Last modified on: 10/19/2023 17:41:44 UTC