CVE-2005-2424 in SANTIS 50
Summary
by MITRE
The management interface for Siemens SANTIS 50 running firmware 4.2.8.0, and possibly other products including Ericsson HN294dp and Dynalink RTA300W, allows remote attackers to access the Telnet port without authentication via certain packets to the web interface that cause the interface to freeze.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2424 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw affecting network management interfaces in enterprise-grade networking equipment. This issue specifically impacts Siemens SANTIS 50 devices running firmware version 4.2.8.0, though it may extend to other similar products such as Ericsson HN294dp and Dynalink RTA300W. The flaw resides in the web-based management interface design, where certain crafted packets sent to the interface can trigger a state condition that allows unauthorized remote access to the underlying Telnet service without proper authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages a specific sequence of network packets that causes the device's web interface to enter a frozen or unresponsive state. During this frozen condition, the system appears to be non-functional from the web management perspective, yet the underlying Telnet service remains accessible and operational. This creates a window of opportunity for attackers to establish unauthorized connections to the device's Telnet port, effectively bypassing the intended authentication mechanisms that should protect access to the device's management functions. The flaw demonstrates poor state management and error handling within the device's network protocol stack, where a denial-of-service condition inadvertently creates an authentication bypass.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant security risks to organizations relying on these network devices for their infrastructure management. An attacker who can successfully exploit this vulnerability gains full administrative access to the device, enabling them to modify network configurations, view sensitive data, install malicious software, or redirect traffic. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the device or network proximity, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for critical infrastructure deployments. This type of vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles and can lead to complete compromise of network management functions, potentially affecting the entire network infrastructure under the device's control.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control in software systems, and represents a classic example of how defensive mechanisms can create unintended security weaknesses when not properly coordinated. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability would likely be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1021.001 for remote services, as it enables unauthorized remote access to network management services. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling unnecessary services, applying firmware updates when available, implementing network segmentation to isolate management interfaces, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious network traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments of network infrastructure should include verification of authentication mechanisms and proper state management within device interfaces to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future deployments.