CVE-2017-15567 in MorphoSmart 1300
Summary
by MITRE
The certificate import component in IDEMIA (formerly Morpho) MorphoSmart 1300 Series (aka MSO 1300 Series) devices allows local users to obtain a command shell, and consequently gain privileges, via unspecified vectors.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15567 affects the certificate import functionality within IDEMIA MorphoSmart 1300 Series devices, formerly known as Morpho products. These devices are widely deployed for biometric authentication and secure credential management in government and enterprise environments. The flaw resides in how the system handles certificate import operations, creating a potential privilege escalation pathway that could be exploited by local attackers. This vulnerability represents a critical security weakness in authentication infrastructure hardware that serves as a cornerstone for secure identity management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper privilege handling within the certificate import component. Attackers with local access to these devices can manipulate the certificate import process to execute arbitrary commands, ultimately obtaining a command shell with elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-78, which addresses OS command injection. The exploitation process typically involves crafting malicious certificate data that bypasses normal validation checks and triggers unintended command execution within the device's operating environment. The underlying architecture of these devices appears to lack proper sandboxing or privilege separation mechanisms during certificate processing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to compromise the entire authentication infrastructure. Local attackers who gain access to these devices can potentially manipulate biometric databases, modify authentication parameters, or even disable security features entirely. This represents a significant risk to organizations relying on these devices for secure access control, as the compromise of a single device can undermine the security posture of connected systems. The vulnerability affects multiple deployments across government agencies, financial institutions, and other organizations that depend on MorphoSmart 1300 Series for secure credential management and biometric authentication services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, restricting local access to these devices, and implementing network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically T1068, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual certificate import activities and command execution patterns. Additional defensive measures include disabling unnecessary certificate import functionality when not required, implementing strict access controls, and conducting regular security assessments of authentication infrastructure components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in embedded systems and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of authentication hardware components.