CVE-2013-4218 in WiMAX Network Service
Summary
by MITRE
The InitMethodAndPassword function in InfraStack/OSAgnostic/WiMax/Agents/Supplicant/Source/SupplicantAgent.c in the Intel WiMAX Network Service through 1.5.2 for Intel Wireless WiMAX Connection 2400 devices uses the same RSA private key in supplicant_key.pem on all systems, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information via unspecified decryption operations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4218 represents a critical cryptographic weakness in Intel's WiMAX network service implementation affecting versions through 1.5.2. This flaw resides within the InitMethodAndPassword function located in the SupplicantAgent.c file within the InfraStack/OSAgnostic/WiMax/Agents/Supplicant/Source/SupplicantAgent.c path of the Intel Wireless WiMAX Connection 2400 devices. The issue stems from the improper implementation of cryptographic key management where the same RSA private key is hardcoded and distributed across all affected systems, fundamentally undermining the security architecture of the authentication process.
The technical implementation flaw manifests through the use of a static private key file named supplicant_key.pem that remains consistent across all device deployments. This approach violates fundamental cryptographic principles and creates a single point of failure that adversaries can exploit to decrypt sensitive communications. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the supplicant component responsible for authenticating wireless network connections, making it particularly dangerous as it compromises the integrity of the entire wireless authentication framework. This weakness allows local users to perform decryption operations that should remain protected, effectively breaking the confidentiality assurances provided by the cryptographic implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential full system compromise and unauthorized network access. Attackers with local access can leverage this static key to decrypt network traffic, potentially gaining access to authentication credentials, session tokens, and other sensitive data transmitted over the WiMAX network. The implications are particularly severe given that this vulnerability affects the core authentication mechanism of wireless network connections, potentially enabling attackers to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to network resources. According to CWE-327, this vulnerability directly relates to the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and improper key management practices, while the ATT&CK framework categorizes this under credential access and defense evasion techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of cryptographic key rotation and the deployment of unique keys for each device instance. Organizations should implement a comprehensive key management system that generates and distributes unique RSA key pairs for each device in the network infrastructure. The recommended approach includes updating to the latest available firmware versions from Intel that address this specific vulnerability, implementing network segmentation to limit local access privileges, and conducting thorough security audits to identify any potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual decryption activities or unauthorized access attempts that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation process must also include proper key lifecycle management practices to ensure that cryptographic keys are regularly rotated and that the system maintains proper entropy during key generation processes.