CVE-2016-11014 in JNR1010
Summary
by MITRE
NETGEAR JNR1010 devices before 1.0.0.32 have Incorrect Access Control because the ok value of the auth cookie is a special case.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-11014 affects NETGEAR JNR1010 wireless routers running firmware versions prior to 1.0.0.32. This issue represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the device's authentication mechanism and could potentially allow unauthorized users to gain administrative privileges. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication cookie handling process where the system fails to properly validate the ok value within the auth cookie, creating a security bypass condition that weakens the overall security posture of the network device.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of authentication tokens within the device's web interface. When users attempt to access the router's administrative interface, the system generates an authentication cookie that should contain a properly validated ok value to confirm successful authentication. However, in affected versions, the device accepts a special case value for the ok parameter that does not undergo proper verification, allowing attackers to craft malicious authentication cookies that bypass the normal access control checks. This flaw falls under the category of improper access control as defined by CWE-285 and represents a specific implementation weakness in the authentication subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables unauthenticated attackers to potentially gain administrative access to the router configuration interface. An attacker who can intercept network traffic or perform session manipulation attacks could exploit this weakness to assume administrative privileges without proper authentication credentials. This would allow them to modify network settings, change administrator passwords, configure firewall rules, and potentially gain access to the entire network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the device's ability to maintain secure access control, which is fundamental to network security operations and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate firmware updates to version 1.0.0.32 or later, which addresses the improper authentication cookie validation. Network administrators should also implement additional security measures such as disabling remote administration access when not required, implementing strong password policies, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious authentication patterns. The device should be configured to use secure protocols only and access should be restricted to trusted IP addresses. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact if the device is compromised. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper authentication implementation and the need for thorough security testing of network device firmware to prevent similar access control bypass scenarios.