CVE-2017-9932 in DX-350
Summary
by MITRE
Green Packet DX-350 Firmware version v2.8.9.5-g1.4.8-atheeb has a default password of admin for the admin account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2019
The Green Packet DX-350 is a network security appliance that serves as a firewall and intrusion prevention system designed to protect enterprise networks from various cyber threats. This device operates at the network perimeter and provides critical security functions including packet filtering, stateful inspection, and intrusion detection capabilities. The firmware version v2.8.9.5-g1.4.8-atheeb represents a specific release that contains a significant security vulnerability affecting the device's authentication mechanism. This vulnerability stems from the device's configuration where the default administrative credentials are hardcoded and remain unchanged after initial setup, creating an inherent security risk for all deployments.
The technical flaw manifests as a weak authentication mechanism where the administrative account username is set to "admin" with a default password of "admin" that is publicly known and easily discoverable through various threat intelligence sources and security databases. This configuration violates fundamental security principles by providing a well-known credential combination that requires no authentication effort from malicious actors. The vulnerability creates an immediate privilege escalation path for any attacker who can access the device's administrative interface, regardless of network segmentation or other security controls. This issue falls under the CWE-798 weakness category, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software and systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially catastrophic for organizations relying on the Green Packet DX-350 for network security. An attacker who discovers the default credentials can immediately gain full administrative control over the device, enabling them to modify firewall rules, disable security features, create backdoors, and potentially establish persistent access to the internal network. The compromise of this device essentially provides attackers with a powerful foothold that can be used to pivot deeper into the network infrastructure, making it a critical target for adversaries seeking to establish long-term access. This vulnerability directly maps to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers legitimate credentials and default credentials, and represents a high-value target for initial access and privilege escalation operations.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including changing the default administrative password to a strong, unique credential that meets enterprise security requirements. The device should be configured with multi-factor authentication if available, and network segmentation should be enforced to limit direct administrative access. Regular security audits should be conducted to verify that default credentials have been properly changed and that no other hardcoded credentials exist within the system. Network monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized access attempts to the device's administrative interfaces, and access controls should be strictly enforced through role-based permissions. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network access control lists to restrict administrative access to only trusted network segments and IP addresses. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper device configuration management and the necessity of adhering to security best practices during initial deployment and ongoing maintenance of network security appliances.