CVE-2017-6530 in COAXDATA GATEWAY 1Gbps
Summary
by MITRE
Televes COAXDATA GATEWAY 1Gbps devices doc-wifi-hgw_v1.02.0014 4.20 do not check password.shtml authorization, leading to Arbitrary password change.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2019
The Televes COAXDATA GATEWAY 1Gbps device represents a critical network infrastructure component that serves as a gateway for high-speed internet connectivity in residential and small office environments. This particular model identified as doc-wifi-hgw_v1.02.0014 with firmware version 4.20 exhibits a fundamental security flaw that undermines the device's authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically affects the password.shtml authorization process, which is a critical component of the device's web-based administrative interface.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper authorization checking within the password change functionality of the device's web interface. When users attempt to modify administrative passwords through the password.shtml page, the system fails to validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary privileges to perform this action. This absence of authorization validation creates a direct path for unauthorized individuals to modify administrative credentials without proper authentication. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control implementation within the web application layer of the device's firmware, representing a classic authorization bypass flaw that aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for network administrators and end users. An attacker who gains access to the device's network can exploit this flaw to change administrative passwords, thereby gaining complete control over the gateway device. This unauthorized access enables the attacker to modify network configurations, implement man-in-the-middle attacks, redirect traffic, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The implications extend beyond simple credential compromise as the attacker can effectively take over the entire network routing and security functions of the device, potentially affecting all connected devices and users within the network perimeter.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the device's security architecture and represents a significant risk to network security. The flaw enables privilege escalation through a simple web interface manipulation, making it particularly dangerous for deployment in environments where physical or network access might be compromised. The vulnerability's impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1566 which addresses credential harvesting, as the attacker can leverage this weakness to obtain unauthorized administrative access. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual administrative changes to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation approach requires immediate firmware updates from the vendor, network access controls, and potentially temporary network isolation of affected devices until proper patches are deployed.
The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authorization implementation in network device firmware and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing during development and deployment phases. Device manufacturers must ensure that all administrative functions include proper authentication and authorization checks to prevent unauthorized access to critical network infrastructure components. This flaw serves as a reminder that even seemingly simple functions like password changes can represent significant security risks when proper access controls are not implemented, emphasizing the need for defense-in-depth strategies in network security architecture and the importance of regular security assessments of network infrastructure components.