CVE-2013-5760 in Photo Station
Summary
by MITRE
QNAP Photo Station before firmware 4.0.3 build0912 allows remote attackers to list OS user accounts via a request to photo/p/api/list.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5760 affects QNAP Photo Station software prior to firmware version 4.0.3 build0912, presenting a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to enumerate operating system user accounts through a specific API endpoint. This flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that undermines the fundamental security posture of affected QNAP devices. The vulnerability exists within the photo/p/api/list.php endpoint which is designed to provide list functionality for photo management but fails to implement proper authentication and authorization controls, allowing any remote attacker to access user account information without requiring valid credentials.
This technical flaw falls under the category of improper access control as defined by CWE-285, where the system fails to properly restrict access to sensitive information. The vulnerability operates by exploiting a lack of input validation and authentication checks within the API interface, enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that bypass normal security boundaries. The exposed user accounts can include both system-level and application-specific accounts, potentially providing attackers with comprehensive information about the device's user landscape. This information disclosure creates a foundation for further attacks including credential brute force attempts, privilege escalation exploits, and social engineering campaigns that leverage the discovered user account details.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it significantly weakens the overall security architecture of QNAP devices running vulnerable firmware versions. Attackers can use the enumerated user accounts to conduct targeted attacks against specific user accounts, potentially leading to unauthorized access to personal photos, media files, and other sensitive data stored on the device. The vulnerability also enables reconnaissance activities that allow attackers to map the target environment and identify potential attack vectors for more sophisticated exploitation techniques. Furthermore, the exposure of user account information can facilitate credential stuffing attacks across other services where users may have reused passwords, creating cascading security risks throughout affected networks.
The threat landscape for this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 which covers account discovery through enumeration of local accounts. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign API endpoints can become attack vectors when proper access controls are not implemented. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates to version 4.0.3 build0912 or later, which addresses the authentication bypass issue by introducing proper access control mechanisms. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to the affected API endpoints, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual access patterns to photo management APIs. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network services and ensure that all API endpoints properly implement authentication and authorization controls as recommended in industry security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 standards.