CVE-2016-8718 in AWK-3131A
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability exists in the Web Application functionality of Moxa AWK-3131A Wireless Access Point running firmware 1.1. A specially crafted form can trick a client into making an unintentional request to the web server which will be treated as an authentic request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2022
The CVE-2016-8718 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness in Moxa AWK-3131A Wireless Access Point firmware version 1.1. This vulnerability resides within the web application interface of the device, specifically targeting the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern administrative operations. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions by tricking legitimate users into executing unintended administrative actions through carefully crafted web forms. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in the web application's request validation and session management protocols, creating an avenue for unauthorized administrative access and potential network compromise.
This CSRF vulnerability operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and the user's browser. When an authenticated user visits a malicious website or clicks on a compromised link, the attacker can construct a form that automatically submits requests to the vulnerable Moxa device's web interface. The web application processes these requests without proper verification of the user's intent, treating the malicious request as legitimate due to the existing authentication session. The vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or proper request origin validation in the web application's form handling mechanisms, allowing attackers to leverage the user's existing authenticated session for unauthorized operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, potentially enabling complete network compromise through unauthorized configuration changes, firmware updates, or credential modifications. Attackers could manipulate wireless access point settings, disable security features, or redirect network traffic to facilitate further attacks. The vulnerability affects the device's administrative interface, which typically controls critical network functions including wireless settings, network configuration, firewall rules, and user management. This presents a significant risk to industrial and enterprise networks where such access points serve as critical infrastructure components, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent network footholds or disrupt critical services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8718 should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protections within the web application, including the deployment of unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session and validation of request origins. The device firmware should enforce proper session management and implement request verification mechanisms that prevent unauthorized operations from being executed without explicit user confirmation. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit direct administrative access to such devices, while regular firmware updates and security assessments should be conducted to address similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues, and represents a typical attack vector categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts.