CVE-2015-8331 in VCN500
Summary
by MITRE
The Operation and Maintenance Unit (OMU) in Huawei VCN500 with software before V100R002C00SPC200 does not properly invalidate the session ID when an "abnormal exit" occurs, which allows remote attackers to conduct replay attacks via the session ID.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8331 affects the Operation and Maintenance Unit within Huawei VCN500 video surveillance systems running software versions prior to V100R002C00SPC200. This represents a critical session management flaw that undermines the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the system. The OMU component serves as the administrative interface for configuring and managing the video surveillance infrastructure, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking unauthorized access to security-sensitive environments. The flaw specifically manifests when the system experiences an abnormal termination event, which can occur due to unexpected power loss, system crashes, or other disruptive conditions during normal operation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper session ID invalidation process during abnormal exit scenarios. When a user session terminates unexpectedly, the system should invalidate the session identifier to prevent reuse by unauthorized parties. However, in affected Huawei VCN500 devices, the session ID remains valid even after abnormal termination, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit the system. This behavior aligns with CWE-617, which describes reachable assertions and CWE-306, concerning missing security checks. The vulnerability enables attackers to capture a valid session ID during normal operation and subsequently reuse it to establish unauthorized administrative sessions, effectively bypassing the authentication mechanisms that should protect the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it allows remote attackers to conduct replay attacks without requiring additional credentials or exploitation techniques. Attackers can leverage the stolen session ID to perform administrative functions including configuration changes, access to recorded video footage, modification of security settings, and potentially disruption of the surveillance system's operations. This threat vector is particularly concerning in security-sensitive environments such as financial institutions, government facilities, or critical infrastructure where video surveillance systems are deployed to monitor and protect assets. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the system or specialized equipment beyond standard network reconnaissance tools, making the vulnerability highly exploitable across network boundaries. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 for initial access through credential harvesting and T1078 for valid accounts usage, as attackers can leverage the stolen session ID to maintain persistent access to the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate software patching to address the session management flaw in affected Huawei VCN500 devices. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to software version V100R002C00SPC200 or later, which implements proper session ID invalidation during abnormal exit conditions. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of the OMU interface to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Additional monitoring should be deployed to detect unusual session activity patterns, particularly around abnormal termination events that could indicate session ID reuse attempts. Security administrators should also implement regular session timeout configurations and ensure that authentication mechanisms include multi-factor authentication where possible. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper session management in security-critical applications and underscores the necessity of robust error handling and cleanup procedures during system termination events. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential session management flaws in their network infrastructure and ensure that all administrative interfaces properly handle abnormal termination scenarios to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising system security.