CVE-2018-12925 in Lantronix MSS
Summary
by MITRE
Baseon Lantronix MSS devices do not require a password for TELNET access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12925 affects Lantronix MSS series devices which are industrial networking equipment designed for remote management and monitoring applications. These devices are commonly deployed in critical infrastructure environments where secure remote access is paramount for system administration and maintenance operations. The flaw resides in the default configuration of the TELNET service implementation, which fails to enforce mandatory authentication requirements for remote access. This represents a fundamental security weakness that directly violates established principles of secure system design and access control.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the absence of password protection mechanisms within the TELNET service configuration. TELNET protocol inherently lacks encryption and authentication security features, making it particularly dangerous when deployed without proper access controls. The device defaults to allowing unrestricted TELNET access without requiring any form of credential verification, creating an unauthenticated entry point that malicious actors can exploit immediately upon network discovery. This flaw aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses and improper authentication mechanisms, specifically targeting the absence of proper authentication requirements in network services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted across industrial control systems and network infrastructure deployments. Unauthenticated remote access provides attackers with immediate administrative privileges to manipulate device configurations, access sensitive network data, and potentially compromise entire network segments. The vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that remains active until manually addressed, allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to affected systems. This represents a significant risk to industrial environments where these devices may control critical processes, making it a prime target for both cybercriminals and nation-state actors seeking to disrupt operations or gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including disabling TELNET services entirely and replacing them with secure alternatives such as SSH protocols. Network segmentation and access control measures should be deployed to limit exposure of these devices to unauthorized networks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar misconfigurations across the entire network infrastructure. The remediation process should also include updating device firmware to versions that properly enforce authentication requirements and implementing network monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following the principle of least privilege and secure default configurations as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks and standards including those referenced in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for network service exploitation techniques.