CVE-2014-5437 in Touchstone TG862G
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in ARRIS Touchstone TG862G/CT Telephony Gateway with firmware 7.6.59S.CT and earlier allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that (1) enable remote management via a request to remote_management.php, (2) add a port forwarding rule via a request to port_forwarding_add.php, (3) change the wireless network to open via a request to wireless_network_configuration_edit.php, or (4) conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the keyword parameter to managed_sites_add_keyword.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2018
The CVE-2014-5437 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting ARRIS Touchstone TG862G/CT Telephony Gateway devices running firmware version 7.6.59S.CT and earlier. This vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw exists within the web-based administrative interface of these network devices, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these telecommunications gateways for their network infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper authentication tokens or validation mechanisms in the affected PHP scripts, allowing malicious actors to forge requests that appear to originate from authenticated administrators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through four distinct attack vectors that exploit the lack of CSRF protection mechanisms. The first vector targets remote_management.php which enables remote management capabilities, potentially allowing attackers to gain full administrative control over the device. The second vector exploits port_forwarding_add.php to add unauthorized port forwarding rules, creating potential entry points for further network exploitation. The third vector targets wireless_network_configuration_edit.php to change wireless network settings to open configurations, compromising wireless security. The fourth vector utilizes managed_sites_add_keyword.php with the keyword parameter to conduct cross-site scripting attacks, demonstrating how CSRF vulnerabilities can compound with XSS capabilities. These attack vectors demonstrate a sophisticated exploitation pattern that combines multiple attack techniques within a single vulnerability.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5437 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating a comprehensive attack surface that can lead to complete network compromise. An attacker exploiting these vulnerabilities could gain persistent administrative access to the telephony gateway, potentially disrupting voice services, modifying network configurations, or establishing backdoor access points within the network. The ability to enable remote management without proper authentication creates a persistent threat vector that could remain undetected for extended periods. The port forwarding capabilities could be abused to redirect traffic to malicious servers, while changing wireless configurations to open settings would compromise wireless security for all connected devices. The XSS component adds additional complexity by potentially allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated sessions, further expanding the attack surface and persistence capabilities.
Organizations affected by CVE-2014-5437 should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from ARRIS to address the identified CSRF vulnerabilities. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to isolate critical telephony infrastructure from general network access, reducing the potential impact of successful exploitation. The implementation of proper CSRF token validation mechanisms in all web-based administrative interfaces represents a fundamental security requirement that aligns with NIST SP 800-53 security controls. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual configuration changes or management access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current firmware versions and implementing proper access controls for network management interfaces, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's methodology for network infrastructure attacks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities in other network devices and applications within the organization's infrastructure.