CVE-2018-18602 in Smart Camera
Summary
by MITRE
The Cloud API on Guardzilla smart cameras allows user enumeration, with resultant arbitrary camera access and monitoring.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18602 affects Guardzilla smart cameras and represents a critical security flaw in the cloud API implementation that enables unauthorized user enumeration. This vulnerability resides within the authentication and access control mechanisms of the camera's cloud-based management interface, where the system fails to properly validate user credentials or implement adequate access controls. The flaw allows attackers to systematically identify valid user accounts through the API endpoints, effectively bypassing normal authentication procedures that should protect the device from unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and weak session management within the cloud API layer of the Guardzilla cameras. When attackers send specific requests to the API endpoints, they can receive different responses based on whether the provided user credentials correspond to valid accounts within the system. This differential response behavior enables automated user enumeration attacks where malicious actors can determine which accounts exist and potentially exploit this information to gain unauthorized access to the camera systems. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and CWE-305, which covers authentication bypass mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass comprehensive surveillance capabilities and potential data breaches. Once an attacker successfully enumerates valid user accounts, they can gain arbitrary access to the camera feeds, potentially monitoring sensitive locations without detection. This creates significant risks for organizations relying on these devices for security purposes, as the vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the system. The threat landscape for such vulnerabilities aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1566 which covers credential harvesting through various means including user enumeration attacks.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves strengthening the cloud API authentication mechanisms by implementing rate limiting and account lockout policies to prevent automated enumeration attacks. Network segmentation should be enforced to isolate camera systems from general network access, while robust logging and monitoring should be deployed to detect suspicious API access patterns. Additionally, all affected Guardzilla cameras should be updated with the latest firmware patches provided by the manufacturer, and administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of user accounts to identify and remove any unauthorized access. The implementation of multi-factor authentication for cloud API access would provide an additional security layer that could mitigate the impact of credential compromise even if user enumeration occurs.