CVE-2000-0784 in Rapidstream
Summary
by MITRE
sshd program in the Rapidstream 2.1 Beta VPN appliance has a hard-coded "rsadmin" account with a null password, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via ssh.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-0784 represents a critical security flaw in the Rapidstream 2.1 Beta VPN appliance that stems from improper credential management and weak authentication mechanisms. This issue affects the sshd daemon component that handles secure shell connections, creating an avenue for unauthorized remote access to the system. The flaw manifests through the presence of a hard-coded administrative account with no password protection, which violates fundamental security principles of credential management and access control. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to establish authenticated sessions without any authentication challenges, effectively bypassing all normal security measures that would typically protect such systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a hardcoded user account named "rsadmin" that is embedded within the Rapidstream appliance software during development. This account contains a null password attribute, meaning that no password verification is required for authentication. When an attacker connects to the sshd service on the affected appliance, they can simply provide the username "rsadmin" and proceed directly to command execution without any password prompt or verification process. This design flaw represents a classic example of hard-coded credentials, which is classified under CWE-798 as the use of hard-coded credentials in security-sensitive contexts. The null password condition specifically aligns with CWE-259, which addresses the use of default passwords or passwords that are not properly configured for security purposes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides complete administrative control over the affected VPN appliance. Attackers who exploit this vulnerability can execute arbitrary commands on the system, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or use of the appliance as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. This vulnerability directly enables several attack patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to credential access and privilege escalation. The ability to execute arbitrary commands through an unauthenticated SSH connection allows threat actors to establish persistent access, install backdoors, modify system configurations, and potentially use the compromised appliance to launch further attacks against the broader network infrastructure.
The security implications of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the entire VPN appliance. The presence of a hard-coded account with null password creates a persistent backdoor that remains active regardless of system updates or configuration changes. Organizations using this specific version of Rapidstream appliances face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential system compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates a lack of proper security testing and secure coding practices during the development phase, as hard-coded credentials should never be present in production systems. This flaw also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks, which emphasize the critical need for proper authentication mechanisms and secure credential handling. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including network segmentation, firewall rules to restrict SSH access, and immediate replacement of affected appliances with patched versions to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.