CVE-2005-1827 in DSL-504T
Summary
by MITRE
D-Link DSL-504T allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain privileges, such as upgrade firmware, restart the router or restore a saved configuration, via a direct request to firmwarecfg.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2024
The D-Link DSL-504T router presents a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that fundamentally compromises the device's security posture. This vulnerability exists within the firmware configuration interface, specifically at the firmwarecfg endpoint, which lacks proper access controls and authentication mechanisms. The flaw allows remote attackers to directly access administrative functions without requiring valid credentials, effectively granting them full control over the network device. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and insufficient authorization checks within the web application layer of the router's firmware, creating an attack surface that enables unauthorized users to escalate privileges and execute administrative commands.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through direct HTTP requests to the firmwarecfg endpoint, which serves as an administrative interface without requiring authentication. This misconfiguration allows attackers to perform critical operations including firmware upgrades, system restarts, and configuration restoration without proper authorization. The flaw represents a classic example of insecure direct object reference vulnerability, where the application fails to verify that the requesting user has proper authorization to access specific resources. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software applications, and falls under the broader category of weak access control mechanisms. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no local access or prior authentication credentials, making it suitable for remote exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the network infrastructure. Once exploited, adversaries can modify network configurations, install malicious firmware versions, or completely compromise the device's functionality. The ability to perform firmware upgrades opens additional attack vectors, as attackers could potentially install backdoors or malware through the firmware update process. Network administrators lose complete control over their router's configuration, enabling attackers to modify DNS settings, change firewall rules, or redirect network traffic to malicious destinations. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of network services, as described in the CIA triad framework, and represents a significant risk to enterprise network security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of network segmentation and access control measures. Organizations should deploy network monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts to administrative interfaces and implement network access control lists to restrict access to router management ports. The most effective remediation involves applying firmware updates from D-Link that properly implement authentication mechanisms and input validation for the firmwarecfg endpoint. Network administrators should also implement additional security controls such as disabling unnecessary administrative services, configuring strong passwords, and regularly auditing network device configurations. The remediation process should follow established security frameworks including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 standards for information security management. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in other network infrastructure devices, as this class of vulnerability often affects multiple vendors and device types.