CVE-2014-8331 in E3276
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in Huawei HiLink E3236 before E3276sTCPU-V200R002B470D13SP00C00 and E3276sWebUI-V100R007B100D03SP01C03 and E3276 before E3236sTCPU-V200R002B146D41SP00C00 and E3236sWebUI-V100R007B100D03SP01C03 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that (1) change configuration settings or (2) use device functions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2018
The CVE-2014-8331 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Huawei HiLink E3236 and E3276 devices across multiple firmware versions. This vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface of these wireless broadband devices, which are commonly deployed in enterprise and residential networking environments. The flaw stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the device's authentication system, creating a significant security gap that allows malicious actors to exploit the administrative interface without legitimate credentials. The vulnerability impacts devices running specific firmware versions including E3276sTCPU-V200R002B470D13SP00C00 and E3276sWebUI-V100R007B100D03SP01C03, as well as various E3236 firmware releases.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTTP requests that target the device's administrative functions. When an authenticated administrator performs legitimate actions through the web interface, the device should validate the authenticity of each request to prevent unauthorized modifications. However, the Huawei HiLink devices fail to implement proper CSRF tokens or similar protective measures, allowing attackers to craft malicious web pages or phishing sites that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable device. These requests can manipulate configuration settings or invoke device functions without requiring authentication, effectively enabling unauthorized administrative control. The flaw specifically affects two primary attack vectors: configuration modification and device function invocation, both of which can severely compromise network security and device integrity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating substantial risks for network administrators and organizations relying on these devices. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability to modify critical network settings such as DNS configurations, firewall rules, or connection parameters, potentially redirecting traffic or disabling network connectivity. The ability to invoke device functions without authentication also enables attackers to perform actions like resetting the device to factory defaults, changing administrator passwords, or accessing sensitive device information. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where these devices are used for network connectivity, as unauthorized modifications could lead to service disruptions, data breaches, or complete network compromise. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the device or network, making it a significant threat vector for cybercriminals.
Security professionals should approach this vulnerability through the lens of CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing, as attackers can leverage this flaw to gain administrative access through social engineering campaigns. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Huawei, network segmentation to isolate affected devices, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to patched firmware versions that implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms, including the generation and validation of unique tokens for each user session. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as disabling unnecessary web management interfaces, enforcing strong authentication protocols, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in network infrastructure devices.