CVE-2009-1560 in WVC54GC
Summary
by MITRE
The Cisco Linksys WVC54GCA wireless video camera with firmware 1.00R22 and 1.00R24 stores passwords and wireless-network keys in cleartext in (1) pass_wd.htm and (2) Wsecurity.htm, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading the HTML source code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1560 affects the Cisco Linksys WVC54GCA wireless video camera model, specifically impacting firmware versions 1.00R22 and 1.00R24. This issue represents a critical security flaw in the device's configuration file handling mechanisms, where sensitive authentication credentials are stored in an easily accessible and readable format. The vulnerability stems from improper secure storage practices within the web interface configuration files, creating an attack vector that exposes administrative and network credentials to unauthorized parties.
The technical flaw manifests in the cleartext storage of passwords and wireless network keys within two specific HTML configuration files: pass_wd.htm and Wsecurity.htm. These files are designed to manage user authentication and wireless security parameters for the camera system. When attackers access the web interface or directly retrieve these configuration files, they can simply view the HTML source code to extract sensitive information without requiring any advanced exploitation techniques. This represents a fundamental failure in data protection principles where sensitive information should be encrypted or hashed before storage, rather than maintained in plain text format.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected wireless video camera system. Once obtained, these cleartext credentials enable unauthorized users to access the camera's configuration interface, modify security settings, view live video feeds, and potentially compromise the entire network infrastructure connected to the device. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects network security keys, which if compromised, could allow attackers to gain access to the broader wireless network and potentially escalate their privileges to other connected devices.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a direct violation of security best practices for credential management. The attack surface is minimal as it requires only basic web access to the device's interface, making it highly exploitable by threat actors with limited technical expertise. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1528 (Steal Application Access Token) through the credential access and privilege escalation capabilities it provides. The exposure of wireless network keys specifically relates to T1046 (Network Service Scanning) and T1071.003 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) when attackers attempt to leverage the compromised credentials for further network exploration.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates from Cisco to address the cleartext storage issue, implementation of network segmentation to isolate the affected devices, and mandatory configuration changes that require encrypted credential storage. Organizations should also establish regular security audits of networked devices to identify similar vulnerabilities in other embedded systems and implement centralized credential management solutions that prevent cleartext storage of sensitive information. The affected devices should be configured with strong, unique passwords and wireless keys that are regularly rotated, while network administrators should monitor for unauthorized access attempts and implement additional security controls such as network access control lists to restrict access to these vulnerable devices.