CVE-2014-4863 in Touchstone Dg950a Software
Summary
by MITRE
The Arris Touchstone DG950A cable modem with software 7.10.131 has an SNMP community of public, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive password, key, and SSID information via an SNMP request.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2024
The CVE-2014-4863 vulnerability affects the Arris Touchstone DG950A cable modem running firmware version 7.10.131, presenting a critical security flaw that stems from improper configuration of the Simple Network Management Protocol. This vulnerability resides within the network infrastructure device's management interface, where the default SNMP community string remains unchanged from its factory setting of "public." The issue represents a fundamental failure in secure configuration management practices and demonstrates how default credentials and weak authentication mechanisms can expose sensitive network information to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and CWE-312, concerning the exposure of sensitive data through improper handling of information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through standard SNMP protocol requests that can be executed from any remote location with network access to the modem's management interface. When an attacker sends an SNMP GET request using the public community string, the device responds with detailed information including administrative passwords, encryption keys, and wireless network SSIDs that are typically used for network authentication and access control. This exposure creates a significant information disclosure risk that can lead to further exploitation opportunities, as the stolen credentials can be used to gain full administrative control over the modem and potentially compromise the entire local network. The vulnerability operates at the network layer and demonstrates how insufficient access controls and weak default configurations can create attack vectors that bypass traditional security measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4863 extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass complete network compromise potential. Once an attacker gains access to the modem's administrative credentials, they can modify network settings, disable security features, redirect traffic, and establish persistent access points within the network. This vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of the network infrastructure, potentially allowing attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, monitor network traffic, and create backdoors for continued access. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise and residential gateway environments where cable modems serve as the primary entry point to local networks, making this vulnerability a significant concern for network security administrators and compliance officers who must adhere to standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to address the root cause through proper configuration management and access control implementation. Network administrators should immediately change the default SNMP community strings to strong, unique values and disable SNMPv1 if possible, transitioning to SNMPv3 for enhanced security. The remediation process involves updating the modem firmware to versions that address the default credential issue and implementing network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces. Security controls should include disabling unnecessary services, implementing network access controls, and establishing monitoring for unauthorized SNMP access attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following the principle of least privilege and demonstrates how basic security practices such as changing default passwords and implementing proper access controls can prevent widespread exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious SNMP traffic patterns and establish incident response procedures for handling such vulnerabilities. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1046 for network service scanning, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security monitoring and access control measures.