CVE-2015-8251 in OpenStage
Summary
by MITRE
OpenStage 60 and OpenScape Desk Phone IP 55G SIP V3, OpenStage 15, 20E, 20 and 40 and OpenScape Desk Phone IP 35G SIP V3, OpenScape Desk Phone IP 35G Eco SIP V3, OpenStage 60 and OpenScape Desk Phone IP 55G HFA V3, OpenStage 15, 20E, 20, and 40 and OpenScape Desk Phone IP 35G HFA V3, and OpenScape Desk Phone IP 35G Eco HFA V3 use non-unique X.509 certificates and SSH host keys.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-8251 affects a range of VoIP telephony devices including OpenStage 60 and OpenScape Desk Phone IP 55G SIP V3 models along with several other OpenStage and OpenScape desk phone variants. These devices utilize X.509 certificates and SSH host keys that are not unique across different devices, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors to compromise the communication integrity and confidentiality of voice over IP systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanisms used by these telephony devices, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate devices within the network infrastructure.
The technical flaw stems from the implementation of non-unique cryptographic certificates and host keys that are pre-configured or hardcoded into the device firmware. This design weakness allows attackers to leverage the same cryptographic material across multiple devices, effectively breaking the fundamental security principle of unique device identification. When devices share identical certificates, any compromise of one device's cryptographic material immediately compromises the security of all devices using the same certificate, creating a single point of failure that undermines the entire security posture of the VoIP infrastructure. This issue directly relates to CWE-319, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through the use of weak or predictable cryptographic keys, and represents a critical failure in device identity management and authentication protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it enables various attack vectors including man-in-the-middle attacks, device impersonation, and unauthorized access to voice communication systems. Attackers can exploit the shared cryptographic keys to establish unauthorized communication channels, potentially intercepting voice calls, accessing sensitive business communications, or even taking control of the affected devices to redirect traffic or disrupt services. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where VoIP systems handle critical business communications and where the compromise of a single device can potentially provide access to larger network segments. This weakness can also facilitate credential theft and lateral movement within networks, as the shared keys may be used for multiple authentication purposes beyond just device identification.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the replacement of affected devices with versions that utilize unique cryptographic certificates for each device, or the deployment of network segmentation measures to limit the impact of potential compromises. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring and anomaly detection capabilities to identify unusual network behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of certificate management systems that enforce unique device identification and regular certificate rotation should be prioritized. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their VoIP infrastructure to identify other devices that may be using similar non-unique cryptographic implementations, as this vulnerability can affect various telephony equipment from different vendors that may share similar security flaws. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of unique device identity management and proper cryptographic key distribution in network security infrastructure, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through various network-based attack vectors.