CVE-2002-1936 in BAS 1000
Summary
by MITRE
UTStarcom BAS 1000 3.1.10 creates several default or back door accounts and passwords, which allows remote attackers to gain access via (1) field account with a password of "*field", (2) guru account with a password of "*3noguru", (3) snmp account with a password of "snmp", or (4) dbase account with a password of "dbase".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2024
The CVE-2002-1936 vulnerability affects the UTStarcom BAS 1000 3.1.10 network infrastructure device, representing a critical security flaw that stems from poor secure configuration practices during device deployment. This vulnerability manifests through the inclusion of multiple default accounts with hard-coded passwords that are intentionally designed to provide administrative access to the system. The presence of these backdoor accounts creates a fundamental weakness in the device's security posture, as they bypass normal authentication mechanisms and provide unauthorized access to system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves four specific accounts that are pre-configured with predictable passwords, each serving different functional purposes within the device's operational framework. The field account utilizes the password "field" which is a clear indication of a hardcoded credential that should never be present in production environments. The guru account with password "3noguru" suggests a privileged administrative access point that could enable attackers to execute commands with elevated privileges. The snmp account with the password "snmp" represents another critical weakness, as SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) credentials are often used for monitoring and management functions. Finally, the dbase account with password "dbase" indicates potential database access capabilities that could allow attackers to extract sensitive information from the device's data stores.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates multiple attack vectors that can be exploited by remote adversaries without requiring any specialized knowledge of the system's internal workings. The presence of these default accounts allows attackers to gain immediate access to the device's administrative functions, potentially enabling them to modify configurations, extract sensitive data, or use the device as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage these accounts from outside the network perimeter, significantly increasing the attack surface and potential damage. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles that require unique, complex passwords for all administrative accounts and proper credential management practices.
The vulnerability aligns with several cybersecurity standards and frameworks, particularly CWE-798 which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and CWE-259 which covers weak password policies. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, specifically T1078 for valid accounts and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. The weakness also corresponds to T1566 which involves social engineering and credential harvesting, as these default credentials are often discovered through automated scanning tools and public databases. Organizations implementing these devices without proper configuration changes face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential compromise of their network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to address the exposed accounts and passwords. The primary recommendation involves changing all default passwords to strong, unique credentials that follow organizational security policies. Network administrators should disable or delete any unused accounts, particularly those with known default credentials. Additionally, implementing proper network segmentation and access controls can limit the potential impact of compromise. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other network devices, as this vulnerability represents a common pattern in legacy network infrastructure. The implementation of network access control lists and proper firewall rules can help prevent unauthorized access attempts to these vulnerable accounts. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious authentication attempts that may indicate exploitation of these default accounts.