CVE-2017-7917 in OnCell G3110
Summary
by MITRE
A Cross-Site Request Forgery issue was discovered in Moxa OnCell G3110-HSPA Version 1.3 build 15082117 and previous versions, OnCell G3110-HSDPA Version 1.2 Build 09123015 and previous versions, OnCell G3150-HSDPA Version 1.4 Build 11051315 and previous versions, OnCell 5104-HSDPA, OnCell 5104-HSPA, and OnCell 5004-HSPA. The application does not sufficiently verify if a request was intentionally provided by the user who submitted the request, which could allow an attacker to modify the configuration of the device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2020
The CVE-2017-7917 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting multiple Moxa OnCell cellular gateway models including the G3110-HSPA, G3110-HSDPA, G3150-HSDPA, and various 5104 and 5004 series devices. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins within the web-based management interface of these industrial networking appliances. The affected versions range from specific build numbers including 1.3 build 15082117 and earlier for G3110-HSPA models through various 5104 and 5004 series configurations, creating a widespread impact across multiple product lines. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate device configurations without proper authentication, fundamentally compromising the security posture of these network infrastructure components.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The technical implementation fails to incorporate proper anti-CSRF tokens or origin validation mechanisms within the device's web interface. When users interact with the management interface, the application does not adequately verify that requests originate from legitimate user sessions or that the requests were intentionally submitted by authenticated users. This absence of proper request validation creates an exploitable condition where malicious actors can craft specially formatted requests that appear to come from authenticated users, thereby bypassing the authentication mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, potentially enabling attackers to compromise entire network infrastructures that rely on these cellular gateways. Industrial environments using these devices for remote monitoring and control of critical systems face significant risk from unauthorized configuration modifications that could disrupt operations, expose sensitive data, or create backdoor access points. The attack surface becomes particularly dangerous in scenarios where these devices serve as primary connectivity solutions for remote industrial sites, medical devices, or critical infrastructure monitoring systems. Network administrators may remain unaware of unauthorized changes until system failures or security incidents occur, as the modifications happen without proper audit trails or user notifications.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive anti-CSRF protections including the deployment of unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that are validated on every state-changing request. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enforced to limit direct web interface access to authorized personnel only. Regular firmware updates and patch management programs must be implemented to address known vulnerabilities in industrial networking equipment. The principle of least privilege should be applied to restrict administrative access to these devices, while monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect unauthorized configuration changes. Organizations should also consider network-based solutions such as intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious patterns in traffic to these vulnerable devices, and implement multi-factor authentication for administrative access where possible. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of applying security best practices to industrial control systems and network infrastructure devices that often receive insufficient security attention compared to traditional enterprise applications.