CVE-2012-1921 in WLM-2501
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in goform/admin/formWlEncrypt in Sitecom WLM-2501 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that change the router passphrase via the pskValue parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2024
The CVE-2012-1921 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in Sitecom WLM-2501 wireless routers that enables remote attackers to manipulate administrative functions without proper authentication. This vulnerability specifically affects the goform/admin/formWlEncrypt component of the router's web interface, creating a significant security risk for network administrators who rely on these devices for wireless network management. The flaw operates by allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions, thereby bypassing standard authentication mechanisms that should protect sensitive configuration changes.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the pskValue parameter within the wireless encryption configuration form. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the attacker can trigger unauthorized changes to the router's passphrase without requiring valid credentials. This represents a classic CSRF attack pattern where the victim's browser automatically includes session cookies and authentication tokens in requests to the vulnerable router, effectively allowing the attacker to perform administrative actions on behalf of the legitimate user. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the affected web form, making it possible for external actors to forge requests that modify critical network security settings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it directly compromises the fundamental security of wireless networks managed by the affected routers. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can change the wireless network passphrase, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the network or disrupting legitimate user connectivity. This compromise affects the integrity and confidentiality of wireless communications, as the attacker can modify encryption settings that protect network traffic. The vulnerability particularly impacts organizations that rely on Sitecom WLM-2501 routers for their wireless infrastructure, as it undermines the trust model that should exist between administrators and their network devices. The potential for unauthorized network access or disruption makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise and home network environments where these devices are commonly deployed.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within web applications, including the use of unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session. The affected Sitecom routers require firmware updates that incorporate proper token validation and request origin verification to prevent unauthorized modifications to wireless network settings. Network administrators should also implement additional security measures such as restricting administrative access to trusted IP addresses and enabling secure authentication methods like two-factor authentication. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a violation of the principle of least privilege as defined in various cybersecurity frameworks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique, specifically under the 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' tactic, where attackers leverage web application flaws to gain administrative control over network devices. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to router configurations that may indicate exploitation attempts.