CVE-2016-7454 in TC dpc3941T
Summary
by MITRE
CSRF vulnerability on Technicolor TC dpc3941T (formerly Cisco dpc3941T) devices with firmware dpc3941-P20-18-v303r20421733-160413a-CMCST allows an attacker to change the Wi-Fi password, open the remote management interface, or reset the router.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2024
The CVE-2016-7454 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Technicolor TC dpc3941T routers, which were previously known as Cisco dpc3941T devices. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative interface of these networking devices, specifically targeting the firmware version dpc3941-P20-18-v303r20421733-160413a-CMCST. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of HTTP requests originating from authenticated sessions, allowing malicious actors to manipulate device configuration parameters without proper authorization. The vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery conditions in web applications, making it a well-documented and serious security weakness in the context of network infrastructure devices.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability enables attackers to perform several damaging operations on the affected devices. An attacker can modify the wireless network password, effectively compromising network access control and potentially gaining unauthorized access to connected devices. Additionally, the vulnerability allows for opening the remote management interface, which provides extensive administrative control over the device configuration. Most critically, attackers can reset the router to factory settings, causing complete loss of configuration data and network connectivity. These operations can be executed through carefully crafted web requests that leverage the victim's authenticated session, making the attack particularly dangerous as it requires no additional authentication credentials beyond what the legitimate user already possesses.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7454 extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of home and small office networks. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can establish persistent unauthorized access to network infrastructure, potentially creating backdoors for future attacks or enabling man-in-the-middle scenarios. The vulnerability affects devices that are commonly deployed in residential environments, where users may not be aware of the security implications of visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links. This creates a significant risk for both individual users and organizations that rely on these devices for network connectivity. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where users are tricked into visiting compromised websites that automatically submit malicious requests to the vulnerable router, demonstrating the importance of user awareness in network security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate firmware updates provided by Technicolor and Cisco, as these manufacturers released patches addressing the CSRF implementation flaws. Network administrators should also implement additional security controls such as disabling remote management interfaces when not actively needed, implementing strict firewall rules to restrict access to administrative ports, and utilizing network segmentation to limit the impact of potential compromise. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1072, which covers software deployment in the context of network infrastructure, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation in web applications can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized configuration changes. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect unusual administrative activity patterns and employ security awareness training to educate users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites or clicking on suspicious links that could lead to CSRF exploitation.