CVE-2007-3047 in VoIP Telephone Adapter
Summary
by MITRE
The Vonage VoIP Telephone Adapter has a default administrator username "user" and password "user," which allows remote attackers to obtain administrative access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2019
The Vonage VoIP Telephone Adapter vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that stems from poor credential management practices within telecommunications hardware. This device, designed to facilitate voice over internet protocol communications, contains hardcoded default credentials that remain unchanged throughout its operational lifecycle. The vulnerability specifically affects the device's web-based administration interface, which is accessible over the network and does not implement adequate authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access. The default username "user" and password "user" combination creates an easily exploitable vector that allows remote attackers to gain full administrative privileges without requiring any specialized knowledge or additional attack vectors. This flaw directly violates fundamental security principles regarding credential management and access control, as it provides open access to critical system functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the device's failure to enforce strong authentication mechanisms during the initial setup process. When the VoIP adapter is first deployed, it defaults to these weak credentials, which are often documented in manufacturer documentation or readily available through online searches. The device's web interface does not require administrators to change these default credentials before enabling full administrative functionality, nor does it implement account lockout mechanisms or strong password policies. This design flaw creates a persistent security risk that remains active until the device is manually reconfigured by an authorized administrator. The vulnerability can be exploited through simple network reconnaissance and HTTP request manipulation, making it particularly dangerous as it requires minimal technical expertise to compromise. This weakness aligns with CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and represents a classic example of poor security configuration management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access to administrative functions. Once an attacker gains administrative privileges, they can modify the device's configuration to redirect calls, intercept communications, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The VoIP adapter serves as a critical communication endpoint that often connects to internal networks, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking to establish footholds within larger enterprise environments. The vulnerability enables attackers to potentially disrupt business communications, perform eavesdropping on voice conversations, or use the device as a pivot point for further network exploration. Additionally, the device's administrative interface may provide access to network configuration details, user credentials, or other sensitive information that could be leveraged for additional attacks. This represents a significant risk to enterprise security posture, particularly in environments where network segmentation is not properly implemented.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The most critical immediate action involves changing the default administrative credentials to strong, unique passwords that meet industry standards for password complexity. Organizations should implement mandatory credential change policies during device deployment and establish regular audit procedures to ensure that default credentials have not been retained. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate VoIP devices from critical network segments, reducing the potential impact of compromise. The device should be configured to disable unnecessary services and ports, and access to the administrative interface should be restricted to specific IP addresses or network segments. Regular firmware updates should be applied to address known vulnerabilities, and network monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security guidelines such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider implementing device management solutions that can automatically detect and remediate such configuration issues across their entire network infrastructure.