CVE-2000-0384 in Netstructure 7110
Summary
by MITRE
NetStructure 7110 and 7180 have undocumented accounts (servnow, root, and wizard) whose passwords are easily guessable from the NetStructure's MAC address, which could allow remote attackers to gain root access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-0384 represents a critical security flaw in NetStructure 7110 and 7180 network infrastructure devices that stems from poor credential management practices and predictable password generation mechanisms. This issue affects network appliances that are commonly deployed in enterprise environments for routing and network management purposes, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized administrative access. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it involves default accounts that are not properly documented in the device configuration, making them invisible to administrators who might otherwise secure or disable them.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves a predictable password generation algorithm that derives credentials from the device's MAC address, which is publicly accessible through network discovery protocols. The undocumented accounts servnow, root, and wizard are configured with passwords that can be calculated by attackers who obtain the device's MAC address, typically through network scanning or packet capture techniques. This approach violates fundamental security principles by creating a deterministic relationship between publicly available device information and administrative access credentials, effectively eliminating the security value of password-based authentication for these specific accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with full administrative control over the affected network devices, potentially enabling them to modify routing tables, intercept network traffic, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The ability to remotely exploit this weakness without requiring additional credentials or complex attack vectors makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network devices are often deployed without proper security hardening. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and represents a classic example of weak credential management that can lead to complete system compromise.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including credential access through default credentials and privilege escalation via administrative access. The predictable password generation mechanism also relates to CWE-326, which addresses weak encryption or cryptographic practices, as the algorithm used to generate passwords from MAC addresses lacks sufficient entropy to prevent automated guessing attacks. Organizations that fail to address this vulnerability risk complete network compromise, as these devices often serve as critical infrastructure components that control network traffic flow and access policies. The remediation process requires immediate disabling or deletion of the undocumented accounts, implementation of strong password policies, and comprehensive network security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network infrastructure components.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of secure device configuration practices and the necessity of proper security hardening for network infrastructure equipment. It demonstrates how seemingly minor oversights in credential management can create significant security risks that persist across multiple network devices and can affect enterprise security posture. The vulnerability also underscores the need for regular security assessments and the importance of maintaining current knowledge of default credentials and known security flaws in deployed network equipment. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of such vulnerabilities and establish procedures for regular credential audits to prevent similar issues from arising in other network infrastructure components.