CVE-2015-5996 in Medialink MWN-WAPR300N
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability on Mediabridge Medialink MWN-WAPR300N devices with firmware 5.07.50 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2024
The CVE-2015-5996 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Mediabridge Medialink MWN-WAPR300N wireless access point devices running firmware version 5.07.50. This vulnerability resides in the device's web-based administrative interface and enables remote attackers to execute unauthorized administrative actions by tricking authenticated users into performing malicious requests. The flaw stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the device's authentication flow, specifically lacking anti-CSRF tokens in critical administrative operations. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a weakness where web applications fail to validate that requests originate from legitimate users rather than malicious actors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious web pages or email attachments that contain embedded requests to the affected device's administrative interface. When an authenticated user visits such a malicious page or clicks on a compromised link, the browser automatically submits requests to the device without requiring additional authentication. This allows attackers to perform administrative functions such as changing network configurations, modifying user accounts, updating firmware, or accessing sensitive system information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the existing authenticated session of a legitimate user, making it difficult to detect and trace back to the actual attacker.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5996 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to full device compromise. Attackers can manipulate network settings to redirect traffic through malicious servers, disable security features, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. This vulnerability essentially grants attackers the ability to take complete control of the wireless access point, potentially allowing them to monitor network traffic, conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, or use the device as a pivot point for further network infiltration. The attack surface is particularly concerning for organizations relying on these devices for network access control, as successful exploitation can lead to widespread network compromise. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which describes application layer protocol usage for command and control communications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5996 require immediate firmware updates from Mediabridge to address the CSRF implementation flaw. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical network segments and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious administrative traffic patterns. Network administrators should consider disabling web-based management interfaces and relying on more secure protocols such as SSH or HTTPS with strong authentication mechanisms. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls can help detect and prevent CSRF attacks by validating request integrity and origin. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and authentication flow design, as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security principles, particularly focusing on the prevention of CSRF attacks through proper token implementation and request verification mechanisms.