CVE-2008-1255 in P-660HW
Summary
by MITRE
The ZyXEL P-660HW series router maintains authentication state by IP address, which allows remote attackers to bypass authentication by establishing a session from a source IP address of a previously authenticated user.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2017
The ZyXEL P-660HW series router vulnerability represents a critical flaw in authentication state management that stems from improper session handling mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically affects the router's authentication system which relies on IP address tracking rather than robust session token management. The implementation follows a pattern where the device maintains authentication state based solely on the source IP address of connecting clients, creating a significant security weakness in the network access control mechanism.
The technical flaw in this vulnerability manifests as a session hijacking opportunity that directly violates fundamental principles of secure authentication design. When a user successfully authenticates to the router, the system stores the authentication state associated with that particular IP address. However, this approach fails to implement proper session isolation and validation mechanisms. An attacker who can either obtain the IP address of an authenticated user or manipulate network traffic to appear as that IP address can seamlessly take over the authenticated session without providing valid credentials.
This vulnerability creates substantial operational impact across multiple security domains and aligns with CWE-384, which addresses session management flaws that allow attackers to hijack sessions. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed remotely without requiring physical access to the device. Network administrators may be unaware of the compromised session until unauthorized activities occur, as the system continues to trust traffic originating from the previously authenticated IP address. The implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential data exfiltration, network configuration modifications, and establishment of persistent access points within the network infrastructure.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend into the realm of enterprise security and network integrity management. Organizations relying on these routers face significant risk of unauthorized administrative access, which could lead to complete network compromise. The vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by weakening confidentiality through unauthorized access to network management interfaces, compromising integrity through potential configuration changes, and affecting availability through possible disruption of network services. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1078.004 (Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers can leverage stolen IP-based sessions to maintain access. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and proper access control implementation, as the system does not enforce strong session validation mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust session management protocols that utilize strong authentication tokens rather than IP-based state tracking. Network administrators should consider implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication and regular session timeout mechanisms. The solution involves redesigning the authentication state management system to incorporate session identifiers that are not tied to IP addresses, ensuring that even if an attacker obtains an IP address, they cannot establish a valid session without proper authentication credentials. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access control lists can provide defense-in-depth measures to limit the impact of such vulnerabilities. Regular firmware updates and security audits are essential to address similar implementation flaws in network infrastructure devices and maintain overall network security posture.