CVE-2008-6916 in SpeedStream 5200
Summary
by MITRE
Siemens SpeedStream 5200 with NetPort Software 1.1 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via an invalid Host header, possibly involving a trailing dot in the hostname.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2024
The Siemens SpeedStream 5200 with NetPort Software 1.1 represents a network infrastructure device that suffers from a critical authentication bypass vulnerability classified as CVE-2008-6916. This vulnerability specifically targets the device's handling of HTTP requests and demonstrates a fundamental flaw in how the system processes hostname validation during the authentication process. The issue arises from improper input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize or verify the Host header parameter in HTTP requests, creating an exploitable condition that allows unauthorized remote access to the device's management interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious HTTP requests with specially formatted Host headers containing trailing dots or other malformed hostname indicators. This particular flaw falls under the CWE-285 category of Improper Authorization, specifically relating to authentication bypass mechanisms. The vulnerability exploits a weakness in the software's hostname validation routine where the system does not properly normalize or validate the Host header value before processing authentication requests. When a trailing dot is present in the hostname, the NetPort Software 1.1 fails to correctly interpret the domain name, potentially allowing attackers to bypass authentication checks and gain administrative access to the device without proper credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables remote attackers to completely compromise the management interface of the SpeedStream 5200 device. Once authenticated, an attacker could modify device configurations, implement malicious network policies, monitor traffic, or even redirect network communications. This represents a critical security risk for network administrators who rely on these devices for network infrastructure management, as the vulnerability allows for complete administrative control without knowledge of legitimate credentials. The attack vector requires only network connectivity to the device's management interface, making it particularly dangerous in environments where such devices are exposed to untrusted networks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement network segmentation to isolate critical infrastructure devices from untrusted network segments and ensure that management interfaces are not directly accessible from external networks. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional authentication layers and monitoring mechanisms to detect anomalous access patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and hostname normalization in network security applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1566.001 for Phishing. Security patches or firmware updates should be applied immediately if available, and device access should be restricted to known trusted IP addresses through firewall rules and access control lists to minimize the attack surface.