CVE-2018-13342 in App
Summary
by MITRE
The server API in the Anda app relies on hardcoded credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-13342 represents a critical security flaw in the Anda mobile application's server-side API implementation. This issue stems from the application's reliance on hardcoded authentication credentials within its server infrastructure, creating a fundamental weakness that directly violates established security best practices. The presence of hardcoded credentials in production applications constitutes a severe configuration management failure that undermines the entire security posture of the affected system.
The technical flaw manifests when the server API component of the Anda application contains static username and password combinations embedded directly within the source code or configuration files. This approach eliminates the possibility of dynamic credential rotation and creates a persistent attack surface that remains unchanged regardless of security policies or threat landscape evolution. The hardcoded nature of these credentials means that any individual who gains access to the application source code, configuration files, or deployment artifacts can immediately obtain valid authentication credentials without requiring any additional exploitation techniques.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables unauthorized access to the application's backend services and potentially sensitive data. Attackers who discover these hardcoded credentials can authenticate to the server API and perform actions such as data retrieval, modification, or deletion depending on the privilege levels assigned to the hardcoded accounts. The attack surface extends beyond simple credential theft to include potential privilege escalation scenarios where compromised accounts may have elevated permissions within the system. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hardcoded credentials in software applications.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK techniques including credential access and privilege escalation. Adversaries can leverage these hardcoded credentials to establish persistence within the system and move laterally to access other connected resources. The vulnerability also enables potential data exfiltration attacks where unauthorized parties can access user data, application logs, or other sensitive information processed through the compromised API endpoint. This flaw particularly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of the application's data processing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-13342 require immediate remediation of the hardcoded credential implementation. Organizations must implement proper credential management practices including the use of environment variables, secure configuration management systems, or dedicated credential storage services. The application architecture should be redesigned to eliminate hardcoded credentials and instead utilize dynamic authentication mechanisms that support credential rotation and proper access control. Security teams should conduct comprehensive code reviews to identify and remove any additional hardcoded credentials throughout the application stack. Regular security assessments should be performed to ensure that similar configuration vulnerabilities do not exist in other components of the system. The implementation of proper key management solutions such as vaulting systems or cloud-based credential services provides a more robust approach to managing authentication credentials in production environments.