CVE-2011-1324 in Whr-amg54
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the management screen on Buffalo WHR, WZR2, WZR, WER, and BBR series routers with firmware 1.x; BHR-4RV and FS-G54 routers with firmware 2.x; and AS-100 routers allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that modify settings, as demonstrated by changing the login password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-1324 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting multiple Buffalo router models including WHR, WZR, WER, and BBR series with firmware versions 1.x, along with BHR-4RV and FS-G54 models running firmware 2.x, and AS-100 routers. This vulnerability resides within the administrative management interfaces of these network devices, creating a significant security risk that allows remote attackers to manipulate router configurations without authentication. The flaw specifically impacts the web-based management screens that administrators use to configure router settings, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from external networks without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms within the router's web interface. When administrators access the management screen, the router fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than crafted malicious requests. This allows attackers to construct specially formatted web pages or exploit payloads that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to the router's management interface. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables attackers to perform administrative actions such as changing login passwords, modifying network configurations, or altering security settings without the knowledge or consent of the legitimate administrator.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password changes to encompass complete administrative control of affected routers. Once exploited, attackers can gain persistent access to network infrastructure, potentially leading to man-in-the-middle attacks, DNS poisoning, port forwarding modifications, or complete network compromise. The vulnerability affects a wide range of consumer and small office network equipment, making it attractive to attackers who can target multiple devices simultaneously. The remote nature of the attack means that even organizations with physically secure network infrastructure remain vulnerable, as attackers only need to deliver malicious payloads to administrators who access the router management interface from external locations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from Buffalo to address the CSRF implementation flaws. Network administrators should also implement additional security controls such as restricting administrative access to specific IP addresses, implementing network segmentation, and using secure protocols like HTTPS with strong encryption for management interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing attacks that might be used to deliver CSRF payloads. Organizations should also consider network monitoring to detect unusual administrative activity patterns and implement multi-factor authentication for router management interfaces where supported.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of security testing for network equipment and the need for robust input validation in web-based management interfaces. Many consumer-grade routers lack proper security considerations in their development lifecycle, making them prime targets for exploitation. This vulnerability serves as a reminder that network infrastructure devices, particularly those with web-based management interfaces, must implement proper session management and anti-CSRF protections to prevent unauthorized administrative access. The widespread nature of affected models suggests that this issue was likely overlooked during initial development, emphasizing the critical need for comprehensive security assessments and proper secure coding practices in embedded network devices.