CVE-2008-1114 in wireless handset
Summary
by MITRE
Vocera Communications wireless handsets, when using Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP), do not validate server certificates, which allows remote wireless access points to steal hashed passwords and conduct man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1114 affects Vocera Communications wireless handsets that implement Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP) for wireless authentication. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the authentication process that undermines the fundamental security posture of wireless communications within healthcare and enterprise environments. The vulnerability specifically manifests when these devices engage in PEAP authentication without proper server certificate validation, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise wireless network security.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper implementation of certificate validation within the PEAP authentication framework. When Vocera handsets establish wireless connections using PEAP, they should validate the server certificates presented by the authentication server to ensure the legitimacy of the connection endpoint. However, the affected devices fail to perform this crucial validation step, allowing malicious actors positioned within the wireless network to present fake certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable handsets. This failure directly violates security protocols established in industry standards such as IEEE 802.1X and the broader PEAP specification, which mandate certificate validation as a fundamental security control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, creating conditions that enable sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks. Remote wireless access points can intercept authentication exchanges and capture the hashed passwords transmitted during PEAP authentication, effectively compromising the entire authentication process. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in healthcare environments where Vocera handsets are commonly deployed for critical communication purposes, as it could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive patient information and disruption of critical communication services. The attack vector is especially dangerous because it requires minimal sophistication to exploit, making it accessible to threat actors with basic wireless network knowledge.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and secure authentication practices. The attack patterns associated with this vulnerability map directly to ATT&CK techniques such as T1075 (Pass the Hash) and T1566 (Phishing for Information), as adversaries can leverage the stolen credentials to escalate privileges and move laterally within networks. Organizations utilizing these devices face significant risk of unauthorized access to wireless networks and potential data breaches, particularly in environments where wireless handsets serve as primary communication tools for accessing sensitive systems and databases.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include immediate firmware updates from Vocera Communications that implement proper certificate validation mechanisms within the PEAP authentication process. Network administrators should also implement additional security controls such as network segmentation to limit the scope of potential attacks, deploy wireless intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious authentication patterns, and consider implementing alternative authentication methods that do not rely on vulnerable PEAP implementations. Organizations must also conduct thorough network assessments to identify all affected devices and ensure that certificate validation is properly enforced throughout the wireless infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper certificate validation in wireless security implementations and serves as a reminder of the potential consequences when authentication protocols fail to enforce proper security controls.