CVE-2018-18441 in DCS-936L
Summary
by MITRE
D-Link DCS series Wi-Fi cameras expose sensitive information regarding the device configuration. The affected devices include many of DCS series, such as: DCS-936L, DCS-942L, DCS-8000LH, DCS-942LB1, DCS-5222L, DCS-825L, DCS-2630L, DCS-820L, DCS-855L, DCS-2121, DCS-5222LB1, DCS-5020L, and many more. There are many affected firmware versions starting from 1.00 and above. The configuration file can be accessed remotely through: <Camera-IP>/common/info.cgi, with no authentication. The configuration file include the following fields: model, product, brand, version, build, hw_version, nipca version, device name, location, MAC address, IP address, gateway IP address, wireless status, input/output settings, speaker, and sensor settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-18441 represents a critical information disclosure flaw in D-Link DCS series Wi-Fi cameras that exposes sensitive device configuration data without authentication requirements. This vulnerability affects numerous models within the DCS series including DCS-936L, DCS-942L, DCS-8000LH, and many others, with impacted firmware versions ranging from 1.00 and above. The flaw resides in the camera's web interface implementation where the configuration file can be accessed remotely through the unauthenticated endpoint <Camera-IP>/common/info.cgi, creating a significant security risk for networked surveillance deployments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate authentication controls within the web server implementation of these network cameras. The exposed configuration file contains comprehensive device metadata including model specifications, product information, brand details, firmware versioning, hardware versions, and network configuration parameters. Additionally, the vulnerability reveals sensitive operational data such as device names, physical locations, MAC addresses, IP addresses, gateway information, wireless status indicators, input/output settings, speaker configurations, and sensor settings. This comprehensive data exposure directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and access control, as the information that should remain protected within the device's internal configuration is readily accessible to any remote attacker.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, creating substantial risks for organizations relying on these surveillance devices for security operations. The exposure of MAC addresses, IP addresses, and network configuration details provides attackers with critical information for network mapping and subsequent attack planning. The presence of device names and locations in the exposed configuration data enables social engineering attacks and targeted reconnaissance. Furthermore, the inclusion of wireless status information and network settings allows attackers to understand device connectivity patterns and potentially identify network segmentation weaknesses. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and represents a classic example of insecure direct object reference (IDOR) as described in the OWASP Top Ten, where the lack of authentication checks allows unauthorized access to sensitive system information.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected devices from critical network segments, applying firmware updates from D-Link when available, and implementing network access controls to restrict access to the affected endpoints. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure configuration management and proper authentication implementation in IoT devices, as outlined in NIST SP 800-125B guidelines for IoT security. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all affected devices and implement monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to these endpoints. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1082 (System Information Discovery) and T1592 (Inventory of Products and Services), highlighting the reconnaissance phase that attackers can exploit through this information disclosure. Security professionals should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems to monitor for access attempts to the vulnerable info.cgi endpoint and establish baseline configurations for device security that prevent such exposure in future deployments.