CVE-2018-18007 in DSL-2770L
Summary
by MITRE
atbox.htm on D-Link DSL-2770L devices allows remote unauthenticated attackers to discover admin credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18007 affects D-Link DSL-2770L broadband routers and represents a critical security flaw in the device's web interface implementation. This issue resides within the atbox.htm component which is part of the router's administrative web portal. The vulnerability enables remote unauthenticated attackers to extract administrative credentials without requiring any prior authentication or authorization, making it particularly dangerous for network security. The affected device model DSL-2770L is a consumer-grade router that typically serves residential and small office environments where security awareness may be limited.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms within the web application layer of the router's firmware. The atbox.htm file contains a flaw that allows attackers to bypass authentication requirements and directly access administrative functions that should only be available to authorized users. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks, which maps to CWE-285 - Improper Authorization. The flaw likely occurs due to inadequate validation of user credentials or session tokens, allowing any remote attacker to access sensitive administrative functions simply by accessing specific URLs or parameters within the web interface. The vulnerability exists in the router's web server implementation where it fails to properly enforce authentication before granting access to administrative resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for any organization or individual using affected D-Link DSL-2770L devices. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains full administrative control over the router, which provides them with complete access to the network configuration, firewall settings, DNS configurations, and potentially other connected devices. This level of access enables attackers to modify network settings, redirect traffic, implement man-in-the-middle attacks, or create backdoors for persistent access. The vulnerability can be exploited from anywhere on the internet without requiring any credentials, making it particularly attractive to automated scanning tools and malicious actors. The exposure of administrative credentials also means that attackers can modify the router's configuration to disable security features or establish persistent access points for future exploitation. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1072 - Software Deployment Tools, as attackers can use the compromised router as a platform for further network infiltration and lateral movement.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate firmware updates from D-Link, as the company has released patches addressing this specific flaw. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit the exposure of critical devices and consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual router configuration changes. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in embedded web applications, which should follow security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments of their network infrastructure to identify similar flaws in other network devices that may be running outdated firmware versions. The security community has documented similar vulnerabilities in embedded web applications, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing of all network device interfaces before deployment in production environments.