CVE-2018-10166 in EAP Controller
Summary
by MITRE
The web management interface in the TP-Link EAP Controller and Omada Controller versions 2.5.4_Windows/2.6.0_Windows does not have Anti-CSRF tokens in any forms. This would allow an attacker to submit authenticated requests when an authenticated user browses an attack-controlled domain. This is fixed in version 2.6.1_Windows.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10166 affects TP-Link EAP Controller and Omada Controller versions 2.5.4_Windows and 2.6.0_Windows, representing a critical security flaw in the web management interface design. This issue stems from the complete absence of Anti-CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) tokens in all forms submitted through the web interface, creating a fundamental security weakness that directly violates established web application security practices. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it enables attackers to execute authenticated requests on behalf of legitimate users who are browsing malicious domains, effectively bypassing the authentication mechanisms that should protect administrative functions.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete omission of CSRF protection mechanisms within the web application's form handling process. In properly secured applications, Anti-CSRF tokens serve as unique, unpredictable values that are generated for each user session and embedded within forms to verify that requests originate from the legitimate user interface rather than being forged by malicious actors. Without these tokens, the web application cannot distinguish between legitimate requests initiated by authenticated users and malicious requests crafted by attackers who manipulate the user's browser to submit requests to the controller's management interface. This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations using affected TP-Link controller versions. An attacker could exploit this weakness by luring an authenticated administrator to visit a malicious website that contains embedded requests to the controller's management interface. When the administrator browses the attacker-controlled domain, their browser automatically submits authenticated requests to the controller, potentially allowing the attacker to modify network configurations, add or remove access points, change user permissions, or execute other administrative functions without the user's knowledge or consent. This attack vector represents a classic example of how CSRF vulnerabilities can be leveraged to perform unauthorized administrative actions, often without requiring any authentication credentials beyond what is already established through the victim's browser session.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates a significant gap in the application's security architecture and highlights the critical importance of implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The fix implemented in version 2.6.1_Windows addresses this by introducing Anti-CSRF tokens into all forms submitted through the web interface, ensuring that each request can be verified against a legitimate session token. Organizations should immediately upgrade to this patched version and conduct thorough security assessments of their network management interfaces to identify similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as the attack exploits legitimate user sessions to perform unauthorized administrative actions. The incident underscores the necessity of comprehensive security testing, including web application penetration testing, to identify and remediate such fundamental security flaws before they can be exploited in real-world scenarios.