CVE-2017-3191 in DIR-130
Summary
by MITRE
D-Link DIR-130 firmware version 1.23 and DIR-330 firmware version 1.12 are vulnerable to authentication bypass of the remote login page. A remote attacker that can access the remote management login page can manipulate the POST request in such a manner as to access some administrator-only pages such as tools_admin.asp without credentials.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3191 affects D-Link DIR-130 and DIR-330 wireless routers running specific firmware versions, presenting a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the security posture of these network devices. This weakness resides in the remote management interface implementation where the authentication mechanism fails to properly validate user credentials before granting access to privileged administrative functions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper session management within the web application layer of the router firmware, allowing unauthorized access to administrative interfaces through manipulation of HTTP POST requests.
The technical flaw manifests when an attacker interacts with the router's web management interface by crafting specially formatted POST requests that bypass the standard authentication process. Specifically, the vulnerability enables access to pages such as tools_admin.asp without requiring valid administrative credentials, effectively granting attackers full administrative control over the affected devices. This authentication bypass occurs because the router's web server does not adequately verify the legitimacy of authentication tokens or session identifiers, allowing attackers to manipulate request parameters to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions. The flaw aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication vulnerabilities, and represents a classic example of weak session management where the system fails to properly validate user identity before granting privileged access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations and individuals using affected D-Link devices. An attacker with network access can exploit this vulnerability to gain complete administrative control over the router, potentially leading to unauthorized network configuration changes, data interception, DNS hijacking, port forwarding modifications, and complete network compromise. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the device or knowledge of network credentials to exploit this vulnerability. This weakness creates a persistent backdoor that can remain undetected while attackers maintain administrative access to the network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where these devices often serve as primary network gateways.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including firmware updates from D-Link to address the authentication bypass vulnerability, as well as network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical network segments. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as disabling remote management features when not required, restricting access to management interfaces through firewall rules, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper authentication implementation and session management in embedded web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access. Regular security assessments of network infrastructure devices are essential to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities that could compromise network security posture and align with industry standards for secure network device configuration management.