CVE-2018-15723 in Harmony Hub
Summary
by MITRE
The Logitech Harmony Hub before version 4.15.206 is vulnerable to application level command injection via crafted HTTP request. An unauthenticated remote attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute application defined commands (e.g. harmony.system?systeminfo).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2020
The Logitech Harmony Hub represents a central component in home automation ecosystems, serving as a universal remote control that manages various smart home devices through a centralized interface. This device operates by exposing a web-based management interface that allows users to configure and control connected devices through HTTP requests. The vulnerability identified in versions prior to 4.15.206 stems from insufficient input validation within the HTTP request processing layer of the Harmony Hub's web server implementation. This flaw enables attackers to inject malicious commands directly into the application's processing pipeline through carefully crafted HTTP requests, bypassing normal authentication mechanisms and exploiting the device's inherent trust in local network communications.
The technical exploitation of this command injection vulnerability occurs at the application layer where the Harmony Hub fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters before processing them within the system command execution context. An attacker can construct malicious HTTP requests containing specially formatted command sequences that get interpreted and executed by the underlying system shell. The specific example of harmony.system?systeminfo demonstrates how attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute predefined system commands that reveal sensitive information about the device's configuration and operational status. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-77 category of Command Injection, which is classified as a critical security weakness in software applications that execute operating system commands based on user input without proper validation or sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass full system compromise capabilities for remote attackers. Once exploited, the vulnerability allows unauthorized execution of arbitrary commands on the affected device, potentially enabling attackers to modify device configurations, access stored credentials, or even escalate privileges within the device's operating environment. The unauthenticated nature of this attack vector means that any remote user can exploit the vulnerability without requiring valid credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the Harmony Hub is exposed to untrusted networks. This vulnerability directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of system commands through web interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of firmware updates to version 4.15.206 or later, which contain proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent command injection attacks. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate the Harmony Hub from untrusted networks, while access controls should be enforced through proper firewall rules that restrict HTTP access to only trusted internal networks. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous HTTP request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, and network traffic analysis should be performed to identify potentially malicious command execution activities. Organizations should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious command injection patterns targeting web-based interfaces. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation in embedded systems and demonstrates how even seemingly benign web interfaces can become attack vectors when proper security controls are not implemented.