CVE-2017-2830 in C1 Indoor HD Camera
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the web management interface used by the Foscam C1 Indoor HD Camera running application firmware 2.52.2.37. A specially crafted HTTP request can cause a buffer overflow resulting in overwriting arbitrary data. An attacker can simply send an HTTP request to the device to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2022
The Foscam C1 Indoor HD Camera represents a widely deployed consumer and small office security device that exposes a web management interface for configuration and monitoring purposes. This particular vulnerability resides within the firmware version 2.52.2.37, indicating a specific software implementation flaw that affects the device's HTTP request handling mechanism. The web interface serves as the primary attack surface for remote exploitation, making it particularly concerning given the device's typical deployment in residential and small business environments where network security may be insufficient. The vulnerability manifests as a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs during the processing of HTTP requests, specifically when handling user-supplied data through the web management interface.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the camera's web server component. When processing HTTP requests, the device fails to properly bounds-check user-provided data before copying it into fixed-size memory buffers. This allows an attacker to craft malicious HTTP requests containing oversized payloads that exceed the allocated buffer space, resulting in memory corruption. The overflow enables arbitrary data overwrite conditions that can potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the device. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to anyone who can reach the device's network address. The attack vector is straightforward as it only requires sending a specially crafted HTTP request to the device's web interface, making exploitation both simple and highly effective.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple device compromise, as it creates a persistent security risk for the entire network infrastructure where the device operates. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains unauthorized access to the camera's internal system, potentially enabling full control over the device's functionality including video streaming, audio recording, and network configuration changes. The device may be used as a pivot point for further attacks within the local network, allowing adversaries to scan for other vulnerable devices or establish persistent access. Additionally, the compromised device could be used for malicious activities such as launching attacks against other systems, serving as a command and control node, or creating a botnet member. The vulnerability affects not just individual devices but represents a systemic risk for organizations that deploy multiple such devices without proper security controls or firmware updates.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Foscam, as the manufacturer likely released patches addressing this specific buffer overflow condition. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of such devices to untrusted networks, while disabling unnecessary services and ports helps reduce attack surface. The implementation of network monitoring and intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts by monitoring for unusual HTTP request patterns or malformed traffic targeting the affected device. Security professionals should consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious HTTP requests before they reach the vulnerable device. According to the CWE database, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and the ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a remote code execution technique that could be used for initial access and privilege escalation within compromised networks. Organizations should also implement regular vulnerability scanning procedures to identify and remediate similar issues across their entire device inventory, as this represents a common pattern in embedded device security that affects numerous IoT products.