CVE-2006-3286 in Wireless Control System
Summary
by MITRE
The internal database in Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) for Linux and Windows before 3.2(63) stores a hard-coded username and password in plaintext within unspecified files, which allows remote authenticated users to access the database (aka bug CSCsd15951).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3286 affects Cisco Wireless Control System versions prior to 3.2(63) running on both Linux and Windows platforms. This represents a critical security flaw that stems from poor credential management practices within the system's internal database architecture. The vulnerability specifically involves the storage of hard-coded authentication credentials in plaintext format, which violates fundamental security principles and creates an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the improper handling of authentication credentials within the WCS database components. The system stores a hard-coded username and password combination in unspecified files, which suggests that these credentials are embedded directly within the application code or configuration files rather than being dynamically generated or securely managed. This plaintext storage approach directly contravenes security best practices and creates a persistent access vector that remains valid across system restarts and deployments. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-312 (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) which specifically addresses the insecure storage of sensitive data in plaintext format.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it enables remote authenticated users to gain unauthorized access to the internal database of the Cisco Wireless Control System. This access level allows attackers to potentially manipulate wireless network configurations, view sensitive network data, and potentially escalate their privileges within the wireless infrastructure. The fact that this vulnerability affects both Linux and Windows platforms indicates a widespread exposure across different operating environments, amplifying the potential attack surface. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 (Phishing for Information) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as it provides attackers with legitimate credentials that can be used to bypass normal authentication mechanisms.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires only authenticated access to the system, which means that an attacker who has already gained some level of access to the wireless control system can leverage this hard-coded credential to access the underlying database. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where a compromised account can be used to escalate privileges and gain deeper system access. The plaintext storage of credentials means that even if network traffic is encrypted, the credentials remain vulnerable to extraction from the file system. Organizations implementing the affected Cisco WCS versions face significant risk of unauthorized database access and potential wireless network compromise, particularly in environments where network segmentation is insufficient to prevent lateral movement.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate deployment of Cisco's security patch version 3.2(63) or later, which addresses the hard-coded credential storage issue through proper credential management practices. System administrators should also implement comprehensive monitoring for unauthorized access attempts and credential usage patterns within the wireless control system. The remediation process should include removing any hard-coded credentials from configuration files and implementing proper credential rotation procedures. Additionally, network segmentation should be enforced to limit access to the wireless control system and database components, reducing the potential impact of credential compromise. Security audits should verify that no additional hard-coded credentials exist within the system configuration and that all authentication mechanisms follow industry standards for secure credential storage and management.