CVE-2015-2885 in Lens Peek-a-View
Summary
by MITRE
Lens Peek-a-View has a password of 2601hx for the backdoor admin account, a password of user for the backdoor user account, and a password of guest for the backdoor guest account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-2885 represents a critical security flaw in the Lens Peek-a-View software system that exposes persistent backdoor accounts with hard-coded credentials. This vulnerability falls under the category of weak authentication mechanisms and hard-coded passwords, which are classified as CWE-259 and CWE-798 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The presence of default credentials for administrative, user, and guest accounts creates an immediate and severe risk for unauthorized system access and privilege escalation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the inclusion of hardcoded passwords directly within the software source code or configuration files, making it impossible for administrators to change these credentials through normal operational procedures. The specific passwords mentioned - 2601hx for the admin account, user for the user account, and guest for the guest account - represent a classic example of poor security design where default credentials are not only present but also easily discoverable through public documentation or reverse engineering. This type of vulnerability directly enables credential stuffing attacks and facilitates unauthorized access to the system's administrative functions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability provides attackers with immediate elevated privileges within the affected system, allowing them to bypass all normal authentication mechanisms and access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent access. The backdoor accounts are designed to remain undetected within the system, making them particularly dangerous as they can be used for long-term reconnaissance and lateral movement within network environments. The presence of multiple backdoor accounts with different privilege levels increases the potential attack surface and allows for more sophisticated attack patterns.
The attack surface for this vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to credential access and privilege escalation. The use of default credentials enables initial access and persistence mechanisms that can be leveraged for further exploitation. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability is typically classified as a configuration management issue rather than a software flaw, as it stems from poor deployment practices and inadequate security hardening procedures. Organizations must implement strict access control policies and regularly audit system configurations to identify and remediate such hardcoded credentials.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate removal of all backdoor accounts and password changes for any legitimate administrative accounts that may have been compromised. System administrators should implement strong password policies, disable default accounts, and ensure that all credentials are properly managed through secure configuration management processes. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify any remaining hardcoded credentials or backdoor mechanisms within the system. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and avoiding the inclusion of hard-coded credentials in production software deployments. Organizations should implement continuous monitoring and automated scanning to detect such vulnerabilities in their software environments and ensure proper security hardening throughout the software development lifecycle.