CVE-2014-0329 in ZXV10 W300
Summary
by MITRE
The TELNET service on the ZTE ZXV10 W300 router 2.1.0 has a hardcoded password ending with airocon for the admin account, which allows remote attackers to obtain administrative access by leveraging knowledge of the MAC address characters present at the beginning of the password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2024
The CVE-2014-0329 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the TELNET service implementation of the ZTE ZXV10 W300 router firmware version 2.1.0. This vulnerability stems from a fundamental design flaw where the system employs a hardcoded administrative password that follows a predictable pattern, specifically ending with the string "airocon". The weakness becomes exploitable when attackers can determine the MAC address of the target device, as this information serves as the prefix for the administrative password. This design decision violates core security principles by creating a static credential that remains unchanged across deployments, effectively providing a backdoor access mechanism for any attacker who can obtain the device's MAC address through network reconnaissance or physical access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-defined attack pattern that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1046 for network service scanning. Attackers can first enumerate the target router's MAC address through various means including network traffic analysis, ARP requests, or physical inspection of the device. Once the MAC address is obtained, the attacker can construct the administrative password by concatenating the MAC address with the hardcoded suffix "airocon". This approach demonstrates a classic weak credential vulnerability that maps to CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software. The flaw essentially creates a deterministic password generation system where the password can be calculated rather than being randomly generated, making it trivial for attackers to gain unauthorized access to the router's administrative interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass complete network compromise and potential lateral movement within the affected network infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains full administrative control over the ZTE router, which serves as a critical network gateway device. This administrative access enables the attacker to modify router configurations, implement man-in-the-middle attacks, redirect network traffic, disable security features, and potentially establish persistence mechanisms within the network. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a widely deployed consumer-grade router model, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns. Network administrators who fail to address this vulnerability may find their entire network infrastructure compromised, as routers often serve as the first line of defense for network security policies.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0329 should focus on immediate remediation through firmware updates provided by ZTE, as this represents the most effective solution to eliminate the hardcoded credential. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate critical infrastructure from consumer devices and ensure that TELNET services are disabled or restricted to trusted networks. The implementation of network access control lists and firewall rules can help prevent unauthorized access to router management interfaces. Additionally, security monitoring should include detection of TELNET connections to router management interfaces, as unauthorized access attempts should trigger security alerts. Regular network inventory audits should identify all devices running vulnerable firmware versions, and organizations should establish processes for continuous firmware updates and security patch management. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices such as implementing strong, unique credentials for administrative accounts and avoiding hardcoded passwords in network devices, which directly relates to CWE-326 and CWE-521 security requirements.