CVE-2015-8335 in VCN500
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei VCN500 with software before V100R002C00SPC201 logs passwords in cleartext, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information by triggering log generation and then reading the log.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8335 affects Huawei VCN500 video conferencing network devices running software versions prior to V100R002C00SPC201. This security flaw represents a critical configuration issue that exposes sensitive authentication credentials through improper logging practices. The vulnerability resides in the device's logging mechanism where passwords are stored in plaintext format within system logs, creating an information disclosure risk that can be exploited by authenticated attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the device's failure to properly sanitize authentication credentials before writing them to log files. When an authenticated user performs operations that trigger log generation, the system automatically records the password in cleartext format without any encryption or obfuscation. This design flaw directly violates security best practices for credential handling and demonstrates poor input validation and output sanitization. The vulnerability maps to CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-532 (Information Exposure Through Log Files), both of which are categorized under the broader weakness of improper handling of sensitive data. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1070.004 (File and Directory Permissions Weakness) and T1005 (Data from Local System) as it leverages legitimate administrative access to extract sensitive information from log files.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8335 extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges and maintain persistent access to the affected network infrastructure. Remote authenticated users who can trigger log generation can subsequently access log files containing plaintext passwords, potentially compromising multiple accounts and system services. This vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege and creates opportunities for lateral movement within the network. The exposure of passwords in log files can lead to unauthorized access to additional systems, disruption of services, and potential data breaches. Organizations using affected Huawei VCN500 devices face significant risk of credential compromise, particularly in environments where administrative accounts are frequently used and log files are accessible to unauthorized personnel.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8335 require immediate implementation of software updates to the affected Huawei VCN500 devices to the patched version V100R002C00SPC201 or later. System administrators should also implement additional security controls including log file access restrictions, regular log file audits, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The device configuration should be reviewed to ensure that password logging is disabled or properly sanitized before log generation. Organizations should establish procedures for regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar issues in other network devices. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of credential compromise. Security teams should also consider implementing centralized logging solutions with proper access controls and encryption to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information within log files. Regular security training for administrators should emphasize the importance of secure credential handling and proper log management practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future.