CVE-2008-7165 in Gate2 Plus Wi-Fi
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery in cp06_wifi_m_nocifr.cgi in the administrator panel in TELECOM ITALIA Alice Gate2 Plus Wi-Fi allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that disable Wi-Fi encryption via certain values for the wlChannel and wlRadioEnable parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7165 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the administrator panel of TELECOM ITALIA Alice Gate2 Plus Wi-Fi devices. This vulnerability specifically affects the cp06_wifi_m_nocifr.cgi script which handles wireless configuration parameters for the device's administration interface. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate administrative functions without legitimate authentication by crafting malicious requests that target the wireless configuration settings. The vulnerability operates through the manipulation of two key parameters: wlChannel and wlRadioEnable, which control wireless channel selection and radio enablement respectively.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper authentication validation mechanisms within the administrative CGI script. When administrators access the wireless configuration interface, the system fails to verify the authenticity of requests originating from external sources. This allows attackers to construct specially crafted web pages or exploit payloads that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to modify wireless encryption settings. The exploitation specifically targets the ability to disable Wi-Fi encryption, a critical security configuration that compromises the entire wireless network's integrity and exposes it to unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of the wireless network infrastructure. By disabling Wi-Fi encryption, attackers can gain unauthorized access to the network, potentially leading to complete network compromise and data interception. The vulnerability affects the administrative panel's session management and request validation processes, creating a persistent threat vector that remains active as long as the device is accessible. This flaw represents a significant risk to enterprise and residential networks that rely on the Alice Gate2 Plus devices for wireless connectivity, as it allows attackers to silently modify critical network parameters without detection.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of insufficient anti-CSRF protection mechanisms, which aligns with CWE-352, Cross-Site Request Forgery. The attack vector demonstrates how web application security controls can be bypassed through improper validation of request sources and lack of anti-CSRF tokens or similar protective measures. Organizations implementing the TELECOM ITALIA Alice Gate2 Plus devices should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader network security assessment, particularly when evaluating the security of embedded network devices and their administrative interfaces. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1566.001 for Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers may leverage the administrative access to modify network settings and potentially establish persistent access points.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention through firmware updates provided by TELECOM ITALIA or third-party security vendors. Network administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces and deploy additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized configuration changes. The implementation of proper CSRF tokens within the administrative web interface would prevent this specific attack vector, requiring each request to contain a unique, unpredictable value that validates the user's intent. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network access control measures and regular security assessments of embedded devices to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network infrastructure components. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of validating all administrative requests and implementing robust session management controls in network device interfaces.