A survey of Out-of-band Management Vulnerability Analysis based on BMC

The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) is the core control for out-of-band management of servers, which has provided an effective solution for the remote management of servers on a large scale, but also introduces a series of unique and complex problems for out-of-band management. However, the standardization process for secure out-of-band management solutions in out-of-band management systems is still in its early stages, and most existing research work focuses on network functionality or authentication security, lacking a comprehensive investigation of out-of-band management firmware security. This paper aims to fill the gap by providing a comprehensive overview of out-of-band management firmware security. By discussing the composition structure, communication architecture, and characteristics of BMC firmware, it highlights the key reasons for the insecurity of BMC. Special attention is paid to propose a classification of vulnerabilities in out-of-band management and summarizes the latest security reports related to typical vulnerabilities. Finally, some recommendations have been provided for server vendors, developers, and server administrators.