CVE-2013-3085 in F5D8236-4
Summary
by MITRE
An authentication bypass exists in the web management interface in Belkin F5D8236-4 v2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3085 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within the web management interface of Belkin F5D8236-4 v2 wireless routers. This issue stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to gain administrative access to the device without proper credentials. The flaw affects the router's web-based management system, which typically requires valid user authentication before granting access to configuration settings, firmware updates, and network management functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in the authentication validation process within the router's web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly accessing specific management URLs or by manipulating authentication tokens and session parameters. The flaw essentially allows for predictable or bypassable authentication flows that do not properly verify user credentials or implement proper access controls. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of weak authentication mechanisms and improper access control, which are commonly classified as CWE-287 and CWE-285 respectively.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to potentially compromising the entire network infrastructure. Once an attacker gains administrative privileges, they can modify network configurations, change DNS settings, implement man-in-the-middle attacks, or even redirect traffic to malicious servers. The router serves as a gateway device for network traffic, making it a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access to local networks. This vulnerability can enable lateral movement within networks and provide attackers with a foothold for more extensive compromise activities, aligning with ATT&CK techniques such as T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-3085 require immediate action from network administrators and device owners. The primary recommendation involves applying firmware updates provided by Belkin to address the authentication bypass vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces and restrict administrative access to only trusted users. Additional security measures include configuring firewalls to block direct access to management ports from external networks, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper authentication design and the potential consequences of inadequate access control implementation in network devices. Network administrators should conduct regular security assessments of all network infrastructure components to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.