04/06-08   -   Press releases

Multiple vulnerabilities in HP Software

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is the world´s largest PC dealer. According to IDC, HP shipped 14.7 million units worldwide, a 23.3 percent year-over-year growth and a 19 percent market share.

PC´s and laptops from HP are often shipped with preinstalled software running on Microsoft Windows. The software is designed so the end-user can keep drivers and HP software automatically updated. This is done through a ActiveX plugin for Microsoft Internet Explorer.

CSIS have discovered multiple high-risk vulnerabilities in several parts of that specific software. The affected component are found preinstalled on a broad range of HP equipment but are also installed when a end user visits HP webpage in order to access software updates such as applications, drivers and firmware for multiple HP products.

We have discovered eight different vulnerabilities of which five should be considered highly critical since they allow remote code execution.

At least five of these vulnerabilities have been confirmed to work in a typical drive-by scenario. All it takes to exploit is to lure a user into visiting a hostile and specifically crafted website. The attack could also be done through SQL and HTML injection. This would allow, if the system is found vulnerable, to run arbitrary code and take complete control of the system or at least with the privileges of the logged on user. In order for this scenario to work it would only require one of the affected ActiveX objects to be installed and Active scripting to be enabled in Microsoft Internet Explorer, which it is by default.

The vulnerability was discovered and reported by Dennis Rand from CSIS Security Group.

HP has released an advisory and update to address these vulnerabilities.

HP Instant Support HPISDataManager.dll Running on Windows, Remote Execution of Arbitrary Code http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c01422264

Technical advisory with PoC can be downloaded here:
http://www.csis.dk/dk/forside/CSIS-RI-0003.pdf