CVE-2002-2112 in DCM225
Summary
by MITRE
RCA Digital Cable Modem DCM225 and DCM225E, and other modems that must conform to the Data-over-Cable Service Interface Specifications DOCSIS standard, uses the "public" community string for SNMP access, which allows remote attackers to read or write MIB information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2112 affects RCA Digital Cable Modem models DCM225 and DCM225E, along with other devices compliant with the DOCSIS standard. This issue represents a fundamental security flaw in the network management protocols implemented by these cable modems, specifically concerning their Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) configuration. The vulnerability stems from the use of a default, well-known community string set to "public" which provides unrestricted access to the device's management interface. This configuration violates basic security principles and creates an easily exploitable entry point for malicious actors seeking to compromise network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the SNMP protocol configuration where the device defaults to using the "public" community string for both read and write operations. This community string serves as a password equivalent in SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c implementations, and when left unchanged from its default value, allows any remote attacker to establish an SNMP session with the device. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as the write permissions enabled by this default configuration permit attackers to modify critical network parameters, potentially leading to complete device compromise and unauthorized network access. This flaw directly maps to CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and represents a classic example of insecure default configurations that persist across multiple vendor implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for network administrators and service providers who rely on these devices for their cable modem infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform reconnaissance activities, gather sensitive network information through MIB (Management Information Base) queries, and potentially modify device configurations to redirect traffic or disable services. The vulnerability affects not just individual devices but entire network segments that may be managed through these modems, creating cascading security risks. This issue demonstrates how legacy network equipment often suffers from inadequate security hardening and fails to implement proper authentication mechanisms, making it a prime target for exploitation within the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework's initial access and credential access tactics.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of several security measures including changing the default SNMP community strings to complex, unique values for both read and write operations. Network administrators should implement SNMPv3 which provides authentication and encryption capabilities, eliminating the reliance on community strings entirely. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar insecure configurations across all network infrastructure devices. Additionally, network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit the attack surface, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unauthorized SNMP access attempts. The remediation process must also include comprehensive device configuration management to prevent reversion to insecure defaults, and regular security updates should be applied to address known vulnerabilities in network management protocols. Organizations should consider implementing network access control lists to restrict SNMP traffic to authorized management stations only, thereby reducing the exposure window for this and similar vulnerabilities.