CVE-2017-2854 in C1 Indoor HD Camera
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the DDNS client used by the Foscam C1 Indoor HD Camera running application firmware 2.52.2.43. On devices with DDNS enabled, an attacker who is able to intercept HTTP connections will be able to fully compromise the device by creating a rogue HTTP server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-2854 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Dynamic Domain Name System client implementation of the Foscam C1 Indoor HD Camera firmware version 2.52.2.43. This issue resides in the device's handling of HTTP responses during DDNS update processes, where insufficient input validation allows malicious actors to craft specially crafted responses that exceed allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw specifically affects devices with DDNS functionality enabled, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages a common network communication mechanism that many IoT devices rely upon for remote management and accessibility.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a man-in-the-middle attack vector where an attacker intercepts HTTP traffic between the camera and its DDNS server. When the camera attempts to update its DDNS record, it processes the response from what it believes to be the legitimate DDNS server. However, a malicious attacker can set up a rogue HTTP server that responds with oversized data payloads designed to overflow the buffer allocated for processing DDNS responses. This buffer overflow creates an opportunity for arbitrary code execution within the camera's operating environment, effectively allowing complete compromise of the device's functionality.
From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to IoT device security as it transforms a simple network interception attack into a full device compromise mechanism. The attack requires only the ability to intercept network traffic rather than physical access or sophisticated attack infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for unsecured networks. Once compromised, the attacker gains complete control over the camera's functions including video streaming capabilities, network configuration settings, and potentially access to other devices on the same network segment. The vulnerability affects devices that are typically deployed in residential and small business environments where network security measures may be insufficient to prevent such interception attacks.
The underlying flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in network protocol implementations. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script interpreter usage, as successful exploitation would likely involve executing commands through the compromised device's shell or API interfaces. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation, encrypted communications using TLS, and regular firmware updates as mitigation strategies. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices in IoT devices and highlights the need for robust input validation mechanisms in network-facing components of embedded systems. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate DDNS-related attacks, and device administrators should disable DDNS functionality when not actively required for operation.