CVE-2015-8288 in D3600
Summary
by MITRE
NETGEAR D3600 devices with firmware 1.0.0.49 and D6000 devices with firmware 1.0.0.49 and earlier use the same hardcoded private key across different customers' installations, which allows remote attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms by leveraging knowledge of this key from another installation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8288 represents a critical weakness in NETGEAR D3600 and D6000 router firmware versions 1.0.0.49 and earlier. This flaw stems from the implementation of a hardcoded private key that is shared across multiple customer installations, fundamentally undermining the cryptographic security model designed to protect network communications. The issue manifests when attackers can exploit this shared key to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to network devices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under CWE-327, which specifically addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and key management flaws. The flaw represents a severe violation of cryptographic best practices where a single private key is embedded within the firmware and distributed across numerous installations without proper key randomization or customer-specific derivation. This hardcoded approach eliminates the fundamental security principle that cryptographic keys should be unique to each installation and properly secured.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for network security and data integrity. Remote attackers can leverage the knowledge of the hardcoded private key from one installation to compromise other networks using the same firmware version. This cross-installation exploitation capability means that a single successful compromise can potentially lead to widespread network infiltration, as the attacker gains the ability to decrypt communications, impersonate legitimate devices, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected networks. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential data exfiltration and network disruption.
The attack surface for this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for credential access through exploitation of weak cryptographic implementations and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. Network reconnaissance activities become significantly easier as attackers can use the shared key to establish trust relationships with network devices. The vulnerability also enables persistent access patterns that could allow attackers to maintain long-term presence within compromised networks, making detection and remediation more challenging.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8288 require immediate firmware updates from NETGEAR to address the hardcoded key issue. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential compromises and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual cryptographic activity patterns. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive network audits to identify all affected devices and ensure that firmware updates are applied across all installations. The remediation process must include proper key management procedures to prevent future occurrences of hardcoded cryptographic material in network infrastructure devices.