CVE-2015-6481 in OnCell Central Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The login function in the RequestController class in Moxa OnCell Central Manager before 2.2 has a hardcoded root password, which allows remote attackers to obtain administrative access via a login session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6481 represents a critical security flaw in the Moxa OnCell Central Manager software ecosystem, specifically within the RequestController class implementation. This issue manifests as a hardcoded root password configuration that persists across all affected versions prior to 2.2, creating an exploitable condition that fundamentally undermines the authentication mechanism of the system. The vulnerability resides in the login function of the RequestController class, which serves as the primary entry point for administrative access to the centralized management interface of Moxa OnCell devices. This design flaw enables unauthorized remote attackers to bypass normal authentication procedures by simply utilizing the predetermined hardcoded credentials, thereby achieving privileged administrative access without requiring any legitimate user credentials or authentication factors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a failure in secure coding practices where developers embedded static authentication credentials directly into the application source code rather than implementing dynamic credential management or secure password storage mechanisms. This hardcoded credential approach violates fundamental security principles and creates a persistent backdoor that remains active regardless of system updates or user credential changes. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication flow within the RequestController class, where the login function does not perform proper credential validation against dynamically stored user accounts but instead relies on hardcoded values that are predictable and universally known. This flaw creates a direct path to privilege escalation and administrative control over the entire Moxa OnCell Central Manager infrastructure.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations to severe security risks including complete system compromise, unauthorized data access, and potential lateral movement within network environments. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring physical access or complex attack vectors, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Moxa OnCell devices are deployed for industrial control and monitoring purposes. The implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access as the attacker gains full administrative privileges, enabling them to modify configurations, extract sensitive operational data, disable security controls, and potentially cause operational disruptions in critical infrastructure environments where these devices are commonly deployed.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Moxa OnCell Central Manager version 2.2 or later, which addresses this hardcoded credential vulnerability through proper authentication implementation. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive network scans to identify all affected devices and implement network segmentation to limit potential attack surfaces. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software applications, and represents a clear violation of security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 standards. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) techniques, as it enables adversaries to leverage hardcoded credentials for unauthorized system access and privilege escalation. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1110 (Brute Force) and T1566 (Phishing) attack patterns where attackers can easily obtain administrative access through predictable credential exploitation without requiring sophisticated attack techniques or social engineering approaches.