CVE-2013-6918 in Smart Travel Router
Summary
by MITRE
The web interface on the Satechi travel router 1.5, when Wi-Fi is used for WAN access, exposes the console without authentication on the WAN IP address regardless of the "Web Management via WAN" setting, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via HTTP requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2018
The Satechi travel router 1.5 presents a critical security vulnerability that fundamentally undermines its network access controls and authentication mechanisms. This flaw exists within the device's web interface implementation where the console remains accessible from external networks even when administrators have explicitly disabled remote management access through the "Web Management via WAN" setting. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the router operates in Wi-Fi WAN mode, creating an unexpected attack surface that bypasses the intended security configurations. This configuration error represents a fundamental failure in the router's access control implementation, where the device fails to properly enforce its own security policies and maintains open administrative endpoints regardless of user configuration choices.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper authentication handling within the web interface component of the router's firmware. When Wi-Fi is configured as the WAN connection method, the router's HTTP server continues to serve administrative console interfaces on the WAN IP address without requiring proper authentication credentials. This behavior directly violates established security principles and represents a classic example of insecure direct object reference or improper access control. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to perform HTTP requests against the exposed administrative interface, effectively bypassing all intended access restrictions and authentication mechanisms that should normally prevent unauthorized access to router configuration functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected router without requiring any authentication credentials. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to modify network configurations, change administrator passwords, disable security features, and potentially gain access to all devices connected to the router's network. This vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that remains active regardless of the administrator's security preferences, effectively neutralizing the router's own security controls and exposing all connected devices to potential compromise. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as attackers can manipulate routing tables, configure malicious DNS settings, and potentially establish persistent command and control channels through the compromised device.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates clear characteristics of a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to gain administrative access. The flaw also corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1021.001, which involves remote services such as web services, and represents a critical weakness in the router's network security architecture that enables lateral movement and persistence. Organizations should immediately disable the web management interface on affected devices and ensure that the router firmware is updated to address this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation includes implementing network segmentation to isolate the affected router from critical systems, disabling unnecessary services, and deploying network monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, administrators should verify that all network devices have been updated with the latest security patches and that proper access control policies are enforced through network segmentation and firewall rules to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising network security.