CVE-2017-9025 in Trip Mate 6
Summary
by MITRE
Heap buffer overflow in vshttpd (aka ioos) in HooToo Trip Mate 6 (TM6) firmware 2.000.030 and earlier allows remote unauthenticated attackers to control the program counter via a specially crafted HTTP Cookie header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2020
The heap buffer overflow vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9025 affects the vshttpd web server component within the HooToo Trip Mate 6 (TM6) device firmware version 2.000.030 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the ioos software stack that manages HTTP services on the device, creating a critical security risk for users of this specific hardware platform. The flaw manifests when the web server processes specially crafted HTTP Cookie headers, allowing remote attackers to manipulate memory contents and potentially execute arbitrary code. This vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow condition where insufficient bounds checking occurs during cookie header processing, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to gain unauthorized control over the device's execution flow.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages a heap-based buffer overflow condition that occurs within the vshttpd implementation. When an attacker sends a malformed HTTP Cookie header containing excessive data, the software fails to properly validate the input length before copying it into a fixed-size heap buffer. This memory corruption directly impacts the program counter execution flow, enabling attackers to redirect program execution to arbitrary code locations. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-787, out-of-bounds write, as the attacker can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and function pointers. The exploitation technique follows ATT&CK tactic T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, by leveraging a web-based attack vector through HTTP services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected device's operations. An unauthenticated attacker can leverage this vulnerability to gain full administrative access to the Trip Mate 6 device, potentially enabling surveillance capabilities, data exfiltration, or use of the device as a pivot point for attacking other networked systems. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials. This makes the device particularly vulnerable in environments where it might be exposed to untrusted network traffic, including public Wi-Fi networks or corporate environments where such devices may be deployed. The affected firmware version 2.000.030 and earlier represents a significant security gap that could compromise the integrity and confidentiality of all data processed by the device.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9025 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from the manufacturer to address the heap buffer overflow condition. Network administrators should implement firewall rules to restrict access to the device's HTTP services, particularly if the device is exposed to untrusted networks. The implementation of intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed HTTP Cookie headers can provide additional monitoring capabilities. Security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected firmware versions and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to isolate devices running vulnerable firmware versions. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and bounds checking in embedded web server implementations, aligning with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-128 and ISO/IEC 27001 security frameworks. Regular security audits of embedded systems and web applications should include checks for similar buffer overflow conditions to prevent future vulnerabilities of this nature.