CVE-2005-2419 in B-FOCuS Router
Summary
by MITRE
B-FOCuS Router 312+ allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access via a direct request to firmwarecfg.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2017
The CVE-2005-2419 vulnerability affects the B-FOCuS Router 312+ device, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to the system. This vulnerability specifically targets the firmware configuration interface, which is typically protected by authentication mechanisms designed to prevent unauthorized modifications to router settings. The flaw allows attackers to circumvent the normal authentication process by directly accessing the firmwarecfg endpoint, effectively providing unrestricted access to the router's administrative functions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper access control implementation within the router's web interface. When attackers make direct requests to the firmwarecfg endpoint without proper authentication, the system fails to validate the request properly, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive configuration parameters. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of weak authentication mechanisms and insufficient access controls, which are commonly classified as CWE-287 - Improper Authentication. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the router's security architecture where the authentication system is bypassed through direct API access rather than following the intended authentication workflow.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security and infrastructure integrity. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain complete administrative control over the router, potentially leading to unauthorized network access, data interception, modification of network configurations, or even use of the device as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker does not require physical access to the device or network presence, making it particularly dangerous. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 - Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage unauthorized access to administrative interfaces to maintain persistent access to network resources.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves sending crafted HTTP requests directly to the firmwarecfg endpoint without proper authentication tokens or credentials. This approach bypasses the normal web interface authentication flow, which might require users to log in through a web browser interface before accessing configuration options. Network administrators and security professionals should recognize that this vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within network device management interfaces. The lack of proper authorization checks at the API endpoint level creates a pathway for attackers to perform administrative functions without proper authentication, potentially leading to complete compromise of the network device and associated network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates from the vendor, which would address the authentication bypass flaw through proper access control implementation. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access control measures to limit exposure of administrative interfaces to trusted networks only. Additionally, monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to configuration endpoints and implementing network intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authentication design in network devices and demonstrates how a single flaw in access control can compromise entire network infrastructures. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms and regular security assessments of network infrastructure devices to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network equipment.