CVE-2017-2237 in Home Gateway HEM-GW16A
Summary
by MITRE
Toshiba Home gateway HEM-GW16A firmware HEM-GW16A-FW-V1.2.0 and earlier. Toshiba Home gateway HEM-GW26A firmware HEM-GW26A-FW-V1.2.0 and earlier allows an attacker to execute arbitrary OS commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2237 affects Toshiba Home gateway devices including the HEM-GW16A and HEM-GW26A models running firmware versions up to and including V1.2.0. This represents a critical security flaw that exposes these network appliances to remote command execution attacks. The affected devices are designed for residential home networking environments and serve as gateways connecting home networks to the internet, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking to compromise home networks and potentially gain access to connected devices.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that allow attackers to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands on the affected devices. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the device's web interface or network services. The vulnerability enables an attacker to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and directly interact with the underlying operating system, potentially allowing full control over the device's functions and network operations. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple entry points may exist within the device's firmware implementation, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a security perspective.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for home network users and could lead to significant security breaches. An attacker with remote access to the device could potentially redirect network traffic, install malicious software, monitor network communications, or use the compromised gateway as a pivot point to attack other devices within the home network. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assumptions of home networking equipment, allowing attackers to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of home network communications. Network administrators and homeowners could face unauthorized access to sensitive data, potential network disruption, and the possibility of using the compromised device as part of larger botnet operations.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-78 categories, representing command injection flaws that allow arbitrary code execution. The attack surface is consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1021.001 for remote services. Mitigation strategies should include immediate firmware updates from Toshiba, network segmentation to isolate affected devices, and implementation of network monitoring to detect suspicious traffic patterns. Organizations and individuals should also consider disabling unnecessary network services, implementing strong access controls, and maintaining regular security assessments of their home networking infrastructure to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.