CVE-2018-10676 in DVR
Summary
by MITRE
CeNova, Night OWL, Novo, Pulnix, QSee, Securus, and TBK Vision DVR devices allow remote attackers to download a file and obtain sensitive credential information via a direct request for the download.rsp URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2020
This vulnerability affects a range of digital video recorder devices including CeNova, Night OWL, Novo, Pulnix, QSee, Securus, and TBK Vision models that are widely deployed in surveillance and security systems. The flaw exists in the web interface implementation where certain URI endpoints lack proper authentication and authorization controls. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly accessing the download.rsp URI endpoint without requiring valid credentials or session tokens, which allows them to retrieve sensitive configuration files and credential information from the device storage.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the web server component of these DVR systems. When a request is made to the download.rsp URI, the device fails to verify whether the requesting entity has proper authorization to access the requested resources. This represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability that falls under the CWE-285 category for improper authorization. The flaw essentially provides a backdoor access path that bypasses normal authentication procedures and allows unauthenticated retrieval of sensitive data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant security risks to organizations relying on these surveillance systems. The stolen credentials could enable attackers to gain full administrative access to the DVR devices, allowing them to modify surveillance settings, view live feeds, manipulate recorded footage, and potentially compromise the entire security infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no prior authentication and can be exploited remotely, making it a critical threat vector for network-based attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1046 Network Service Scanning, as attackers can use the stolen credentials to move laterally within the network and discover additional vulnerable systems.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves simple HTTP requests to the affected URI endpoints, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise. Security researchers have noted that many of these devices lack basic security hardening measures such as encrypted communications, proper access logging, and rate limiting controls. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical systems, disabling unnecessary web services, and applying firmware updates from vendors when available. The vulnerability also highlights the broader issue of insecure default configurations in IoT and security devices, emphasizing the need for proper security by design principles in embedded systems development.