CVE-2014-9596 in Arbitrator Back-end Server Mk 3.0 Vpu
Summary
by MITRE
Panasonic Arbitrator Back-End Server (BES) MK 2.0 VPU before 9.3.1 build 4.08.003.0, when USB Wi-Fi or Direct LAN is enabled, and MK 3.0 VPU before 9.3.1 build 5.06.000.0, when Embedded Wi-Fi or Direct LAN is enabled, does not use encryption, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by sniffing the network for client-server traffic, as demonstrated by Active Directory credential information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9596 affects Panasonic Arbitrator Back-End Server (BES) versions 2.0 and 3.0, specifically impacting systems running VPU software versions prior to 9.3.1 build 4.08.003.0 for MK 2.0 and 5.06.000.0 for MK 3.0. This security flaw manifests when specific network interfaces are enabled, including USB Wi-Fi or Direct LAN for MK 2.0 systems and Embedded Wi-Fi or Direct LAN for MK 3.0 systems. The core technical issue stems from the absence of encryption protocols during client-server communication, creating a significant security gap that exposes sensitive data to unauthorized network monitoring. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which categorizes weaknesses related to cryptographic failures, specifically addressing the lack of proper encryption mechanisms in network communications. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote attackers to perform passive network sniffing operations and capture unencrypted traffic flowing between clients and the server. The demonstration of this flaw showed successful extraction of Active Directory credential information, highlighting the potential for privilege escalation and lateral movement within network environments. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1046, which involves network service scanning, and T1075, which covers remote service execution, as attackers can leverage the exposed credentials to gain unauthorized access to network resources. The absence of encryption creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can intercept and analyze network packets without requiring authentication or advanced exploitation techniques. This vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in network security implementation, as it violates the principle of least privilege and fails to establish secure communication channels between network components. The exposure of Active Directory credentials through this vulnerability could enable attackers to compromise entire domain environments, as these credentials typically provide elevated privileges and access to critical network resources. Organizations utilizing affected Panasonic BES systems face significant risk of credential theft, unauthorized access to network services, and potential data breaches that could affect sensitive corporate information and user credentials. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond immediate credential exposure to include potential disruption of network services and compromise of authentication mechanisms that rely on the secure transmission of authentication tokens and session information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a critical design flaw in the network communication protocols used by the Panasonic BES systems. When USB Wi-Fi or Direct LAN interfaces are enabled on MK 2.0 systems, or when Embedded Wi-Fi or Direct LAN interfaces are active on MK 3.0 systems, the communication channel remains unencrypted and susceptible to network traffic interception. This issue represents a failure in implementing proper transport layer security measures, as the systems do not employ encryption protocols such as TLS or SSL to protect sensitive data transmission. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, specifically exposing data in transit to unauthorized parties who can monitor network communications. Network sniffing tools can easily capture the unencrypted packets containing authentication information, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in shared network environments or public network segments. The lack of encryption also means that session tokens, user credentials, and other sensitive information are transmitted in plaintext, providing attackers with complete access to authentication mechanisms without requiring additional exploitation techniques. This vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions and interface types indicates a systemic issue in the software implementation rather than a isolated bug. The exposure of Active Directory credentials through this vulnerability highlights the importance of secure communication protocols in enterprise environments where authentication systems rely on secure data transmission to maintain network integrity and user authentication security. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-310 emphasizes the critical nature of cryptographic failures in network security implementations and the need for proper encryption mechanisms to protect sensitive data during transmission. From a defensive standpoint, organizations must implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorized access to vulnerable systems, while also ensuring that all network communications are properly encrypted and authenticated to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.