CVE-2014-8655 in CG6640E Wireless Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
The Compal Broadband Networks (CBN) CH6640E and CG6640E Wireless Gateway 1.0 with firmware CH6640-3.5.11.7-NOSH allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and obtain sensitive information via an (a) admin or a (b) root value in the userData cookie in a request to (1) CmgwWirelessSecurity.xml, (2) DocsisConfigFile.xml, or (3) CmgwBasicSetup.xml in xml/ or (4) basicDDNS.html, (5) basicLanUsers.html, or (6) rootDesc.xml.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2024
The CVE-2014-8655 vulnerability affects Compal Broadband Networks CBN CH6640E and CG6640E Wireless Gateway devices running firmware version 1.0 with specific firmware build CH6640-3.5.11.7-NOSH. This represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions and system information. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of user credentials within the userData cookie mechanism, which is utilized across multiple administrative endpoints within the device's web interface. This issue falls under the CWE-287 category of Improper Authentication, specifically addressing weak or missing authentication checks in networked devices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the userData cookie parameter which contains either admin or root values. When attackers submit requests to specific XML configuration endpoints including CmgwWirelessSecurity.xml, DocsisConfigFile.xml, and CmgwBasicSetup.xml located in the xml/ directory, or to HTML management pages such as basicDDNS.html, basicLanUsers.html, and rootDesc.xml, the device fails to properly validate the authentication tokens. This cookie-based authentication bypass allows attackers to access administrative functions without proper credentials, effectively granting them full control over the device configuration and access to sensitive network information. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic improper input validation issue that enables privilege escalation through manipulation of session tokens.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides remote attackers with complete administrative access to the wireless gateway, enabling them to modify network configurations, access user data, change security settings, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to the device's configuration files, modify wireless security settings, and potentially use the gateway as a pivot point for attacking other devices within the local network. The vulnerability affects both the administrative and root user roles, providing attackers with maximum possible privileges. This issue represents a significant threat to network security as it allows attackers to compromise network infrastructure without requiring physical access or local credentials, aligning with attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and persistence tactics.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including firmware updates from Compal or the device manufacturer, network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, and implementation of network monitoring to detect suspicious cookie manipulation patterns. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper authentication implementation in embedded network devices and underscores the need for secure coding practices that validate all user inputs, particularly session tokens and authentication cookies. Device administrators should consider disabling unnecessary administrative interfaces, implementing strong access controls, and regularly auditing device configurations to detect unauthorized changes. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for proper authentication mechanisms in network infrastructure devices and serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping firmware updated to address known security flaws. The issue also emphasizes the necessity of network device hardening practices that include proper access control configuration and monitoring of administrative activities.