CVE-2014-9284 in WHR-1166DHP
Summary
by MITRE
The Buffalo WHR-1166DHP 1.60 and earlier, WSR-600DHP 1.60 and earlier, WHR-600D 1.60 and earlier, WHR-300HP2 1.60 and earlier, WMR-300 1.60 and earlier, WEX-300 1.60 and earlier, and BHR-4GRV2 1.04 and earlier routers allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary OS commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9284 affects multiple Buffalo router models including WHR-1166DHP, WSR-600DHP, WHR-600D, WHR-300HP2, WMR-300, WEX-300, and BHR-4GRV2 with firmware versions 1.60 and earlier, as well as BHR-4GRV2 with version 1.04 and earlier. This represents a critical command injection vulnerability that allows remote authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the affected devices. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the router's web interface administration functionality, creating a path for malicious command execution that bypasses normal security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of user-supplied input within the router's web application layer. When authenticated users submit specific parameters through the web interface, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize these inputs before processing them within the operating system context. This creates a command injection scenario where attacker-controlled commands can be executed with the privileges of the web application process, typically running with elevated system permissions. The vulnerability falls under CWE-77 which specifically addresses command injection flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to network security infrastructure as it allows attackers who have gained legitimate authentication credentials to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary system commands. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential complete system compromise, data exfiltration, network reconnaissance, and the ability to establish persistent backdoors. Attackers could potentially use this vulnerability to modify router configurations, redirect traffic through malicious proxies, or deploy additional malware on the network. The remote nature of the attack means that an authenticated user with minimal privileges could potentially leverage this flaw to gain system-level control, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where router access might be granted to multiple users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9284 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Buffalo to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to router management interfaces and enforce strict access controls using multi-factor authentication. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual command execution patterns and unauthorized configuration changes. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious input and regularly audit router configurations for unauthorized modifications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware and proper input validation practices in embedded systems, as outlined in NIST SP 800-144 guidelines for embedded system security. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of network infrastructure devices to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by adversaries.