CVE-2016-1559 in DAP-1353
Summary
by MITRE
D-Link DAP-1353 H/W vers. B1 3.15 and earlier, D-Link DAP-2553 H/W ver. A1 1.31 and earlier, and D-Link DAP-3520 H/W ver. A1 1.16 and earlier reveal wireless passwords and administrative usernames and passwords over SNMP.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1559 affects multiple D-Link wireless access point models including the DAP-1353, DAP-2553, and DAP-3520 across various hardware and firmware versions. This issue represents a critical security flaw that exposes sensitive network credentials through the Simple Network Management Protocol, which is commonly used for network device management and monitoring. The vulnerability stems from improper configuration of SNMP services that inadvertently disclose administrative credentials and wireless network passwords in clear text format.
This technical flaw constitutes a significant weakness in the network infrastructure security posture as it allows unauthorized attackers to obtain administrative access credentials and wireless network keys through simple SNMP queries. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-200, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor, and CWE-312, concerning the exposure of sensitive data through cleartext transmission. The affected devices fail to implement proper authentication mechanisms for SNMP access, enabling any network entity with SNMP read access to retrieve the disclosed information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with immediate access to network administrative accounts and wireless network credentials. Once compromised, attackers can manipulate network configurations, intercept wireless communications, and potentially escalate privileges to gain full control over the affected access points. The exposure of wireless passwords specifically enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to the wireless network, while administrative credentials provide complete control over the device management functions. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts used for lateral movement, and T1566, which involves social engineering through credential access.
The security implications extend beyond immediate access as these devices typically serve as network entry points and may be connected to critical infrastructure or sensitive network segments. The vulnerability affects multiple device models from the same vendor, indicating a systemic issue in the firmware implementation rather than isolated component failures. Organizations using these devices face significant risk of unauthorized network access, data interception, and potential lateral movement within their network environments. The clear text transmission of credentials violates fundamental security principles and demonstrates inadequate security configuration practices in the device firmware. Mitigation strategies should include immediate firmware updates from D-Link, SNMP access restriction to trusted networks only, and implementation of network segmentation to limit the impact of potential compromise. Additionally, network administrators should disable SNMP if not required for management purposes and implement proper access controls for any remaining SNMP services.