CVE-2015-8289 in D3600
Summary
by MITRE
The password-recovery feature on NETGEAR D3600 devices with firmware 1.0.0.49 and D6000 devices with firmware 1.0.0.49 and earlier allows remote attackers to discover the cleartext administrator password by reading the cgi-bin/passrec.asp HTML source code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8289 affects NETGEAR D3600 and D6000 wireless routers running specific firmware versions, presenting a critical security flaw in the password recovery mechanism. This issue resides within the web interface implementation of these networking devices, where the password recovery feature inadvertently exposes administrative credentials in cleartext format. The vulnerability specifically impacts devices with firmware versions 1.0.0.49 and earlier, making them susceptible to unauthorized access attempts by remote attackers who can exploit this weakness without requiring authentication or physical access to the device.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the cgi-bin/passrec.asp web page component, which is part of the router's web-based administration interface. When the password recovery feature is accessed, the system fails to properly sanitize or obfuscate the administrator password within the HTML source code returned to the client. This design flaw allows remote attackers to simply view the page source and extract the cleartext password directly from the response. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insecure output handling and improper access control implementation, where sensitive information is exposed through web interface components that should only be accessible to authorized users with proper authentication credentials.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations and individuals using affected NETGEAR devices, as it effectively eliminates the need for attackers to perform additional exploitation techniques such as brute force attacks or credential stuffing. The exposure of administrative passwords through cleartext source code reading enables immediate unauthorized access to router configurations, potentially allowing attackers to modify network settings, implement man-in-the-middle attacks, redirect traffic, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and proper authentication mechanisms, as it bypasses the normal security controls that should protect administrative access to network devices.
The security implications of CVE-2015-8289 align with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and represents a specific instance of improper information protection where sensitive authentication data is exposed through web interface components. Additionally, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1212, "Exploitation for Credential Access," as it enables adversaries to obtain credentials directly from the device without requiring additional exploitation methods. The flaw also demonstrates characteristics of privilege escalation and unauthorized access, as attackers can gain administrative control over network infrastructure without proper authorization. Organizations utilizing affected devices face potential compromise of their entire network security posture, as router administration provides critical control over network traffic, firewall settings, and access controls. The remediation approach requires firmware updates from NETGEAR to address the source code exposure issue, while network administrators should implement immediate network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation and access control lists to limit the impact of potential compromises.
This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input and output validation in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive authentication information. The flaw demonstrates how seemingly innocuous features like password recovery can become security risks when not properly implemented with appropriate security controls. The exposure of cleartext credentials through web source code viewing represents a fundamental failure in information security design principles, where the system does not adequately protect sensitive data even when accessed through legitimate interface components. Organizations should prioritize firmware updates for all network equipment and implement comprehensive vulnerability management processes to identify and remediate similar security flaws in their infrastructure components.