CVE-2012-2974 in SMC8024L2 switch
Summary
by MITRE
The web interface on the SMC SMC8024L2 switch allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and obtain administrative access via a direct request to a .html file under (1) status/, (2) system/, (3) ports/, (4) trunks/, (5) vlans/, (6) qos/, (7) rstp/, (8) dot1x/, (9) security/, (10) igmps/, or (11) snmp/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2974 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in the web interface of SMC SMC8024L2 network switches. This issue stems from improper access control mechanisms within the switch's web management interface, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to gain administrative privileges through direct HTTP requests to specific directory paths. The vulnerability affects the switch's ability to properly validate user credentials and enforce access controls, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary commands and modify network configurations without proper authorization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves sending direct HTTP requests to specific paths within the switch's web interface structure. These paths include status/, system/, ports/, trunks/, vlans/, qos/, rstp/, dot1x/, security/, igmps/, and snmp/ directories, all of which contain administrative functions that should require proper authentication. The flaw occurs because the web interface fails to implement proper session management and authentication checks for these specific endpoints, allowing attackers to bypass the standard login process entirely. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and specifically relates to CWE-306 which deals with missing authentication mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for network security. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain complete administrative control over the switch, enabling them to modify network configurations, view sensitive information, disable security features, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. This compromise can lead to man-in-the-middle attacks, network disruption, data exfiltration, and unauthorized network access that extends beyond the immediate switch to other connected network segments. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows remote exploitation without requiring any local access or prior authentication credentials, making it highly attractive to attackers who seek to compromise network infrastructure at scale.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including restricting network access to the switch's web interface through firewall rules, disabling the web management interface entirely if possible, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to only trusted administrative workstations. The switch should be updated with the latest firmware patches provided by SMC to address this authentication bypass issue. Additionally, network administrators should implement network monitoring to detect suspicious access patterns and consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms for any remaining administrative access points. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in network device management interfaces, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1566 which covers credential harvesting through various attack vectors. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in network infrastructure components to prevent similar incidents in the future.