CVE-2007-2036 in Wireless LAN Controller
Summary
by MITRE
The SNMP implementation in the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) before 20070419 uses the default read-only community public, and the default read-write community private, which allows remote attackers to read and modify SNMP variables, aka Bug ID CSCse02384.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2036 represents a critical security flaw in Cisco Wireless LAN Controller implementations that persisted for several years without adequate remediation. This issue specifically affects the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) functionality within Cisco WLC devices, where default community strings remain unchanged, creating persistent attack vectors that adversaries can exploit. The vulnerability stems from the use of well-known default community names "public" for read-only access and "private" for read-write access, which are universally recognized and documented within the cybersecurity community. This default configuration violates fundamental security principles and creates an easily exploitable entry point for unauthorized network management access.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper implementation of SNMP security mechanisms within the Cisco WLC firmware. When devices are deployed without changing the default community strings, attackers can remotely access the device's management interface using these predictable credentials. This vulnerability operates at the network management layer, allowing attackers to perform both enumeration and modification activities against SNMP variables exposed by the wireless controller. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential configuration changes, service disruption, and unauthorized access to wireless network management functions. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-798 as the use of hard-coded credentials and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.101 for valid accounts, as attackers can leverage these default credentials to establish persistent access to network management interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations deploying Cisco WLC devices in production environments. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to wireless network configurations, potentially leading to complete wireless network compromise. The default community strings provide attackers with both read and write capabilities, enabling them to modify wireless settings, disable security features, or redirect network traffic. This vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of wireless network management data, potentially allowing attackers to establish backdoors or disrupt wireless services. The long timeframe between vulnerability discovery and remediation, as indicated by the date 20070419, suggests that many organizations may have remained vulnerable for extended periods, creating persistent risks for wireless infrastructure security. Organizations implementing the ATT&CK framework would identify this as a critical initial access vector through credential compromise and could potentially escalate to broader network compromise through wireless infrastructure manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of configuration changes to replace default community strings with strong, unique credentials. Network administrators must conduct comprehensive inventory audits to identify all affected Cisco WLC devices and ensure proper SNMP community string management. The implementation of network segmentation and access controls around wireless infrastructure devices helps reduce the attack surface. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of default credential usage across all network management interfaces. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized SNMP access attempts and establish incident response procedures for credential compromise scenarios. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices including changing default credentials, implementing principle of least privilege, and maintaining current firmware versions to address known security issues. This case study reinforces the necessity of robust configuration management processes and continuous security awareness training for network administrators to prevent such persistent security weaknesses from compromising network infrastructure.