CVE-2022-37929 is an Improper Privilege Management vulnerability identified in Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Nimble Storage Hybrid Flash Arrays and Nimble Storage Secondary Flash Arrays. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 5.2.1.900 (LTSR) and 5.3.0.0 (GA). The core issue relates to insufficient enforcement of privilege boundaries within the affected storage array systems, potentially allowing users with limited privileges to perform actions or access resources beyond their authorized scope. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269, which pertains to improper privilege management, indicating that the system fails to correctly restrict user permissions. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), exploitation requires local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), low privileges (PR:L), and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), but successful exploitation can result in high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). This means that an attacker with limited privileges and local access who can interact with the system could escalate their privileges or perform unauthorized operations that compromise sensitive data, alter system configurations, or disrupt storage availability. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date (November 3, 2022), and no official patches are linked in the provided data, though updates beyond the affected versions presumably address the issue. The vulnerability is significant in environments where Nimble Storage arrays are deployed, especially in enterprise data centers relying on these arrays for critical storage functions. Given the nature of storage arrays as central repositories for organizational data, improper privilege management can lead to unauthorized data access, data corruption, or denial of service conditions, impacting business continuity and data security.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-37929 can be substantial, particularly for sectors heavily reliant on HPE Nimble Storage arrays such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and government. Unauthorized privilege escalation could allow attackers to access sensitive personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Data integrity compromises could disrupt critical business operations, causing downtime and loss of trust. Availability impacts could result in denial of access to essential storage resources, affecting service delivery and operational continuity. Since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, insider threats or compromised internal accounts pose a significant risk. Organizations with large-scale deployments of Nimble Storage arrays may face broader exposure, increasing the potential scope of impact. Additionally, given the high confidentiality and integrity impact, breaches could lead to data leaks or manipulation, undermining compliance and security postures.

1. Upgrade affected HPE Nimble Storage Hybrid Flash Arrays and Secondary Flash Arrays to versions 5.2.1.900 (LTSR) or 5.3.0.0 (GA) or later, where the vulnerability is addressed. 2. Restrict local access to storage management interfaces strictly to trusted administrators and use network segmentation to isolate management networks. 3. Implement strict role-based access control (RBAC) policies to limit user privileges to the minimum necessary, regularly reviewing and auditing permissions. 4. Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users accessing management consoles to reduce risk from compromised credentials. 5. Monitor and log all access and privilege escalation attempts on Nimble Storage systems, integrating logs with centralized SIEM solutions for real-time alerting. 6. Conduct regular internal security awareness training to reduce risks associated with user interaction requirements for exploitation. 7. Employ endpoint security controls on systems with local access to Nimble Storage arrays to detect and prevent malicious activities. 8. Develop and test incident response plans specific to storage infrastructure compromise scenarios to ensure rapid containment and recovery.