CVE-2015-10123 in Controller BACnet IP
Summary
by MITRE • 03/13/2024
An unautheticated remote attacker could send specifically crafted packets to a affected device. If an authenticated user then views that data in a specific page of the web-based management a buffer overflow will be triggered to gain full access of the device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-10123 represents a critical security flaw in network device management interfaces that demonstrates the dangerous intersection of insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms. This weakness allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to craft and transmit specially designed network packets to a vulnerable device, exploiting a fundamental flaw in how the system processes incoming data. The vulnerability specifically targets the web-based management interface of affected devices, where the buffer overflow occurs when authenticated users subsequently view the maliciously crafted data through a particular page within the management interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory management practices within the device's web interface components. When the system receives the crafted packets, it fails to properly validate the size and content of the incoming data before processing it within memory buffers. This lack of proper input sanitization creates a condition where an attacker can overflow the allocated buffer space, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including critical control structures and function pointers. The vulnerability is particularly insidious because it requires no authentication to exploit initially, making it a classic example of a pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability that aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data corruption, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected device. Once the buffer overflow is successfully triggered through the web-based management interface, an attacker can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web server process, potentially escalating to system-level access. This allows for complete device compromise, enabling attackers to modify configurations, install malicious software, exfiltrate sensitive data, or use the device as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The attack chain requires minimal privileges for initial exploitation but can result in maximum system compromise, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network devices often serve as critical infrastructure components.
The attack vector for this vulnerability specifically targets the web-based management interface, leveraging the fact that many network devices expose these interfaces to remote access for administrative convenience. This creates a significant security risk as the vulnerability can be exploited from anywhere on the network without requiring any prior authentication credentials. The requirement for an authenticated user to view the malicious data page serves as a secondary condition that makes exploitation more complex but not impossible, as attackers can potentially use social engineering or other techniques to trick legitimate users into accessing the malicious content. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies and proper input validation across all network interfaces and management components. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patch deployment, network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces, implementation of network access controls to restrict who can reach the vulnerable web interfaces, and comprehensive monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future, aligning with best practices recommended in the ATT&CK framework for network infrastructure security.