CVE-2002-0812 in Orinoco
Summary
by MITRE
Information leak in Compaq WL310, and the Orinoco Residential Gateway access point it is based on, uses a system identification string as a default SNMP read/write community string, which allows remote attackers to obtain and modify sensitive configuration information by querying for the identification string.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-0812 represents a critical security flaw in networking equipment manufactured by Compaq, specifically affecting the WL310 wireless access point and its underlying Orinoco Residential Gateway platform. This issue stems from a fundamental misconfiguration where the device defaults to using a system identification string as the SNMP community string, creating an inherent security weakness that exposes sensitive network configuration data to unauthorized access. The flaw exists at the design level where security considerations were insufficiently addressed during the development lifecycle, particularly concerning default credential management and network service configuration.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) functionality within the affected devices, where the default community string serves as the authentication mechanism for network management operations. When the system identification string is used as the SNMP read-write community string, attackers can easily discover this default credential through various reconnaissance techniques including network scanning and banner grabbing. This misconfiguration allows unauthorized parties to perform both read and write operations against the device's management interface, enabling them to extract sensitive configuration information, modify network settings, and potentially compromise the entire network segment controlled by the vulnerable access point.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate network configurations remotely without requiring additional authentication credentials. Network administrators who fail to change the default SNMP community string leave their wireless infrastructure vulnerable to exploitation, potentially allowing attackers to gain complete control over the access point's configuration, modify network parameters, and establish persistent access points within the network. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising both confidentiality and integrity, as sensitive network information becomes accessible to unauthorized parties and configuration changes can be made without proper authorization.
The weakness aligns with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and CWE-255, which covers issues related to authentication mechanisms. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1566 for credential access through default credentials. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the affected devices are typically deployed in residential and small business environments where network administration expertise may be limited, and default configurations are rarely modified. Organizations implementing these devices face significant risk of unauthorized network access and potential data breaches, as the vulnerability allows for both passive information gathering and active network manipulation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate credential management practices including changing default SNMP community strings to strong, unique values and disabling SNMP if not required for network management operations. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities, while regular security audits should verify that default configurations have been properly updated. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized SNMP access attempts and establish regular patch management processes to address similar vulnerabilities in network infrastructure components. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of secure configuration management and default credential handling in network security practices.