CVE-2018-0629 in W300P
Summary
by MITRE
Aterm W300P Ver1.0.13 and earlier allows attacker with administrator rights to execute arbitrary OS commands via HTTP request and response.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0629 affects the Aterm W300P router model running firmware versions 1.0.13 and earlier. This represents a critical security flaw that enables authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary operating system commands through manipulated HTTP requests and responses. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and improper sanitization of user-supplied data within the router's web interface handling mechanisms.
This security weakness manifests as a command injection vulnerability that operates at the application layer of the network infrastructure. The flaw occurs when the router's web server processes HTTP requests containing malicious command sequences that are not properly escaped or filtered before being executed by the underlying operating system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-77 as "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')", which directly aligns with the observed behavior of command execution through HTTP interface manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with full administrative control over the affected router. Once exploited, an attacker can execute any command that the router's operating system allows, potentially leading to complete network compromise, data exfiltration, or the establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability specifically affects the HTTP request and response handling components, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard web browser interactions without requiring specialized tools or advanced technical knowledge.
The attack surface for this vulnerability includes any administrative user who can access the router's web interface, typically through the default administrative credentials or credentials that have been compromised through other means. The exploitation process involves crafting malicious HTTP requests that contain OS command injection payloads, which are then processed by the router's command execution engine. This type of attack pattern is consistent with the tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the Tactic of Command and Control, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through legitimate system interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from the manufacturer to address the command injection flaw. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, enforce strong authentication mechanisms, and regularly audit network device configurations. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns and implementing web application firewalls can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in network device software development, emphasizing the need for security-by-design principles in embedded systems to prevent similar command injection scenarios.