CVE-2018-18392 in ThingsPro IIoT Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Privilege Escalation via Broken Access Control in Moxa ThingsPro IIoT Gateway and Device Management Software Solutions version 2.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18392 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Moxa ThingsPro IIoT Gateway and Device Management Software Solutions version 2.1, specifically stemming from broken access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to gain elevated system privileges. This vulnerability resides within the industrial internet of things infrastructure, where proper authentication and authorization controls have been compromised, enabling attackers to manipulate system permissions and execute commands beyond their intended access levels.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through inadequate input validation and insufficient authorization checks within the software's access control framework. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that bypass normal authentication procedures, allowing them to escalate their privileges from standard user level to administrative access. The flaw typically involves improper session management where session tokens or authentication credentials are not properly validated, or where access control lists fail to properly enforce privilege boundaries. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1484 for privilege escalation through access control manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly within industrial environments where Moxa devices serve as critical infrastructure components for manufacturing and process control systems. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to modify device configurations, access sensitive operational data, disable security controls, or even disrupt industrial processes. In manufacturing contexts, this could lead to production downtime, data breaches, or potentially dangerous system states that could impact worker safety and operational continuity. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where these devices are deployed without proper network segmentation, making them more susceptible to lateral movement and escalation attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, implementing network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical systems, and deploying robust monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns. Access controls should be strengthened through multi-factor authentication, regular privilege reviews, and implementation of principle of least privilege concepts. Network-level protections such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular vulnerability assessments should be deployed to prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, security awareness training for personnel managing these industrial systems is essential to prevent social engineering attacks that could exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that access control mechanisms function properly and that no unauthorized access paths exist within the system architecture.