CVE-2018-13287 in Router Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Incorrect default permissions vulnerability in synouser.conf in Synology Router Manager (SRM) before 1.1.7-6941-1 allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information via the world readable configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-13287 represents a critical misconfiguration issue within Synology Router Manager's authentication and authorization framework. This flaw specifically affects the synouser.conf file which contains user account information and associated permissions within the SRM system. The vulnerability stems from improper default file permissions that allow world-readable access to sensitive configuration data, creating an information disclosure risk for all authenticated users who can access the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the failure to properly secure the synouser.conf file during the installation or configuration process of SRM versions prior to 1.1.7-6941-1. This configuration file typically contains user credentials, access levels, and other sensitive authentication data that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The flaw manifests as a permissions issue where the file is created with overly permissive settings that grant read access to all users on the system rather than restricting access to authorized administrators only.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote authenticated users to extract sensitive information from the system's configuration files without requiring additional privileges or exploitation techniques. Attackers who have gained initial access through legitimate authentication can leverage this weakness to escalate their privileges and gain deeper insights into the network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as the compromised user data could facilitate further attacks including credential harvesting, privilege escalation, and targeted attacks against other network components.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, which specifically addresses cases where security-critical resources are assigned improper access controls. This weakness creates a pathway for attackers to access sensitive data that should remain protected within the system's security boundaries. The attack vector is classified as remote authenticated, meaning that an attacker who has already established a legitimate session can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to configuration information.
Security implications of this vulnerability include potential exposure of administrative credentials, user access patterns, and network configuration details that could be used to plan more sophisticated attacks. The flaw also violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and defense in depth, as proper access controls should prevent unauthorized reading of sensitive configuration files regardless of user authentication status. Organizations using affected SRM versions should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to version 1.1.7-6941-1 or later, which addresses the improper file permissions issue through proper access control implementation.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate verification of file permissions on existing installations, implementation of automated monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and review of access control policies to ensure that configuration files maintain appropriate security boundaries. Network segmentation and access control lists should be implemented to limit access to sensitive system components, while regular security audits should verify that proper permissions are maintained across all system configuration files. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure configuration management practices and the need for regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar permission-related issues across network infrastructure components.