CVE-2008-4875 in VOIP841 DECT Phone
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in the web server in Philips Electronics VOIP841 DECT Phone with firmware 1.0.4.50 and 1.0.4.80 allows remote authenticated users to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in a GET request. NOTE: this can be leveraged with CVE-2008-4874 for unauthenticated access to sensitive files such as (1) save.dat and (2) apply.log, which can contain other credentials such as the Skype username and password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2024
The CVE-2008-4875 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw in the web server component of Philips Electronics VOIP841 DECT Phone firmware versions 1.0.4.50 and 1.0.4.80. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and exploits improper input validation within the web server's handling of HTTP GET requests. The flaw stems from the device's failure to adequately sanitize user-supplied input, specifically allowing the exploitation of directory traversal sequences using the .. (dot dot) notation. When an authenticated user submits a malicious GET request containing these traversal sequences, the web server processes the request without proper validation, enabling access to files outside the intended directory structure. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-22 category, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The security implications extend beyond simple file access, as the vulnerability can be chained with CVE-2008-4874 to achieve unauthenticated access to sensitive system files. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it allows attackers to extract critical system information including save.dat and apply.log files. These files contain sensitive credentials such as Skype usernames and passwords, effectively compromising the device's authentication mechanisms and potentially enabling broader network access. The vulnerability affects the device's web-based management interface, which typically serves as the primary attack vector for remote exploitation. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to configuration files, authentication credentials, and other sensitive data that may be stored in the device's file system. The chained exploitation with CVE-2008-4874 demonstrates how multiple vulnerabilities can compound to create more severe security risks, where a weakness in authentication allows an attacker to bypass initial access controls and then use the directory traversal flaw to extract sensitive information. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in embedded web servers, particularly in networked devices where unauthenticated access can lead to complete system compromise. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates, network segmentation, and access control restrictions to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The attack surface is particularly concerning for enterprise environments where such devices may be deployed without proper security hardening, potentially serving as entry points for broader network infiltration. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates the need for comprehensive security testing of embedded systems and web interfaces, as the combination of multiple flaws can create significantly more dangerous attack scenarios than individual vulnerabilities alone. The technical exploitation requires minimal privileges but can yield substantial information disclosure, making this a particularly attractive target for attackers seeking to establish persistent access to networked environments.