CVE-2005-2026 in Vertical Horizon-2402s
Summary
by MITRE
Enterasys Vertical Horizon VH-2402S before firmware 2.05.05.09 has a hard-coded account and password for debugging, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2026 represents a critical security flaw in Enterasys Vertical Horizon VH-2402S network equipment firmware versions prior to 2.05.05.09. This issue stems from the inclusion of hard-coded credentials within the device firmware, a practice that violates fundamental security principles and creates persistent backdoor access vectors. The presence of such hardcoded accounts and passwords in network infrastructure devices has been consistently identified as a severe weakness across multiple security frameworks and assessments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the inclusion of default administrative credentials directly within the firmware image itself, rather than generating unique credentials during deployment or requiring explicit configuration by system administrators. This hard-coded account typically provides full administrative privileges to the device, enabling attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms entirely. The vulnerability specifically affects the debugging functionality of the device, suggesting that these credentials were intended for development and testing purposes but were inadvertently left in production firmware releases. This flaw aligns with CWE-798, which categorizes the use of hard-coded credentials as a serious weakness in software security design.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network security infrastructure as it allows remote attackers to gain administrative access without requiring knowledge of legitimate user credentials or exploitation of other vulnerabilities. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker located anywhere on the network can potentially exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous for network equipment deployed in accessible network segments. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as administrative privileges typically allow for complete device control, configuration changes, data exfiltration, and potential use as a stepping stone for broader network compromise. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK tactics including credential access and privilege escalation, enabling attackers to establish persistent access to network infrastructure.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate firmware updates to versions that address the hard-coded credential issue, typically through the implementation of proper credential generation and management processes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities, ensure regular firmware updates are part of security maintenance procedures, and conduct thorough security assessments of network infrastructure devices. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure software development practices, particularly in embedded systems and network equipment where the persistence of default credentials can create long-term security risks. Network administrators should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts and establish baseline configurations that eliminate default accounts and passwords from production environments.