CVE-2017-16563 in HT802
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in the Basic Settings screen on Vonage (Grandstream) HT802 devices allows attackers to modify settings, related to cgi-bin/update.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16563 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Vonage HT802 devices manufactured by Grandstream. This security weakness resides within the Basic Settings screen interface of the device, specifically exposing the cgi-bin/update endpoint to unauthorized modification attempts. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms in the web-based administrative interface, allowing malicious actors to exploit the device's configuration management functions through carefully crafted web requests.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between the device and authenticated users. When an authenticated user visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the attacker can initiate unauthorized requests to the vulnerable device's update endpoint without the user's knowledge or consent. This occurs because the device does not validate the origin of requests or implement token-based CSRF protection mechanisms. The cgi-bin/update endpoint serves as the attack vector where configuration parameters can be modified, potentially allowing attackers to change critical device settings including network configurations, SIP account details, or administrative credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it provides attackers with persistent access to the device's administrative functions. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to redirect traffic, modify network settings, or even establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the device's integrity and availability, as unauthorized modifications could render the device non-functional or compromise the entire VoIP communication system it supports. Organizations relying on these devices for business communications face significant risk of service disruption, data interception, or unauthorized access to their telephony infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly impacts enterprise networks where these devices are commonly deployed for voice communication services.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms including the use of anti-CSRF tokens that are validated on each request, implementing strict origin validation for administrative endpoints, and ensuring that all configuration changes require explicit user confirmation. Network segmentation and access control measures should be deployed to limit direct administrative access to these devices. Regular firmware updates from Grandstream should be applied immediately upon availability, as the vendor has likely released patches addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect unusual administrative activity patterns and establish robust device management policies that include regular security assessments and access control reviews. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and represents a significant concern within the ATT&CK framework under the T1078 credential access and T1566 initial access categories, demonstrating how web-based vulnerabilities can lead to broader network compromise scenarios.