CVE-2013-3089 in N300
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in apply.cgi in Belkin N300 (F7D7301v1) router allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that modify configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2019
The CVE-2013-3089 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in the Belkin N300 router firmware version F7D7301v1. This vulnerability exists within the apply.cgi web interface component that handles configuration modifications, creating a significant security risk for network administrators who rely on this device for their network infrastructure. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanism by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated administrators, effectively bypassing the router's security controls.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the apply.cgi script. When administrators access the router's web interface, their authentication session remains active, but the apply.cgi endpoint fails to verify the authenticity of requests originating from external sources. This design flaw enables attackers to construct malicious web pages or send crafted HTTP requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, perform unauthorized configuration changes without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative functions that modify router settings, potentially allowing attackers to alter network configurations, change login credentials, or disable security features.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with persistent control over network infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can modify critical router settings including firewall rules, DNS configurations, port forwarding rules, and administrative passwords. This capability creates a persistent backdoor that can remain undetected for extended periods while allowing the attacker to maintain control over the network. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the administrative level, meaning that successful exploitation can compromise the entire network infrastructure that relies on the compromised router as a gateway or access point. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring physical access to the device, making it a severe threat to network security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from Belkin to address the CSRF implementation flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, while also monitoring for unusual configuration changes that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security professionals should deploy web application firewalls and implement proper input validation to prevent unauthorized requests from reaching the vulnerable apply.cgi endpoint. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in network security. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through web application exploitation, where attackers leverage administrative access to gain persistent control over network infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for router administration and establishing regular security audits to detect and prevent unauthorized configuration changes that could indicate successful exploitation of this vulnerability.