CVE-2017-8334 in Almond
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Securifi Almond, Almond+, and Almond 2015 devices with firmware AL-R096. The device provides a user with the capability of blocking IP addresses using the web management interface. It seems that the device does not implement any cross-site scripting forgery protection mechanism which allows an attacker to trick a user who is logged in to the web management interface into executing a cross-site scripting payload on the user's browser and execute any action on the device provided by the web management interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8334 affects Securifi Almond, Almond+, and Almond 2015 devices running firmware version AL-R096, representing a critical security flaw in consumer IoT infrastructure. These devices are designed to provide home network management capabilities including IP address blocking through a web-based administration interface, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking unauthorized access to home networks. The flaw stems from the absence of proper cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms within the device's web management interface, creating a fundamental security gap that directly violates established web application security principles.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the device's failure to implement CSRF protection measures such as anti-forgery tokens or referer validation in its web management interface. When a user accesses the device's web administration panel while authenticated, the system does not verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session. This absence of CSRF protection allows malicious actors to craft specially crafted web pages or links that, when visited by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the device's management interface without the user's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically enables attackers to inject cross-site scripting payloads that execute within the user's browser context, effectively granting the attacker the ability to perform any administrative actions available through the web interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it essentially provides attackers with complete administrative control over affected devices. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to block legitimate IP addresses, modify network configurations, disable security features, or even redirect traffic through malicious proxies. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise to execute, relying on social engineering techniques such as phishing emails or malicious websites to trick users into visiting compromised pages. This vulnerability represents a classic example of how IoT devices often lack proper security controls that are standard in enterprise web applications, creating dangerous attack surfaces that can be exploited to compromise entire home networks.
From a security framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The lack of CSRF protection in the device's management interface violates fundamental security principles that should be implemented regardless of the application's complexity or target environment. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers could leverage the compromised device to execute commands or establish persistent access. Organizations and individuals should immediately implement network segmentation to isolate affected devices, update firmware when available, and consider disabling remote management features until proper security controls are implemented. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of applying standard web application security controls to IoT devices, as these systems often serve as gateways to larger network infrastructures and require the same level of security consideration as traditional enterprise applications.