CVE-2017-9315 in IP Camera
Summary
by MITRE
Customer of Dahua IP camera or IP PTZ could submit relevant device information to receive a time limited temporary password from Dahua authorized dealer to reset the admin password. The algorithm used in this mechanism is potentially at risk of being compromised and subsequently utilized by attacker.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9315 affects Dahua IP cameras and IP PTZ devices, specifically targeting their password reset mechanism that relies on temporary passwords generated through a limited-time algorithm. This weakness stems from the implementation of a cryptographic primitive that generates time-limited temporary passwords for authorized dealers to assist customers in resetting admin passwords. The flaw lies in the algorithm's design and execution, which may be susceptible to reverse engineering or pattern recognition attacks that could allow unauthorized parties to predict or reproduce the temporary password generation process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a cryptographic weakness in the temporary password generation algorithm that operates within the device's password reset functionality. This mechanism was designed to provide a secure method for authorized dealers to assist customers in recovering admin access when they lose their credentials. However, the algorithm's design flaws create a potential attack surface where malicious actors could potentially deduce the password generation patterns or directly compute valid temporary passwords without proper authorization. The vulnerability represents a significant security risk as it could enable unauthorized individuals to gain administrative access to IP camera systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized surveillance access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations relying on Dahua IP security equipment, as it could allow attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and assume administrative control over camera systems. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as compromised cameras could be used for persistent surveillance, data exfiltration, or as entry points for broader network attacks. The time-limited nature of the temporary passwords does not adequately protect against sophisticated attacks that could potentially brute force or reverse engineer the algorithm within the valid time window, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where security is paramount.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-327, which addresses broken or weak cryptographic algorithms, and represents a weakness in the implementation of cryptographic primitives used for authentication purposes. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation and credential access techniques, specifically targeting the T1078 adversary technique related to valid accounts and T1566 related to credential harvesting. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the affected password reset functionality, updating to patched firmware versions from Dahua, and implementing additional authentication controls such as two-factor authentication or certificate-based authentication to prevent unauthorized access to critical security infrastructure.
Security teams should also consider monitoring for suspicious authentication attempts and implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and the need for thorough security testing of authentication mechanisms, particularly those involving time-based or temporary credential generation. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their entire IP camera infrastructure to identify similar weaknesses and ensure that all security mechanisms meet industry standards for cryptographic strength and implementation security.