CVE-2018-19392 in Satcom Sailor 250
Summary
by MITRE
Cobham Satcom Sailor 250 and 500 devices before 1.25 contained an unauthenticated password reset vulnerability. This could allow modification of any user account's password (including the default "admin" account), without prior knowledge of their password. All that is required is knowledge of the username and attack vector (/index.lua?pageID=Administration usernameAdmChange, passwordAdmChange1, and passwordAdmChange2 fields).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19392 affects Cobham Satcom Sailor 250 and 500 satellite communication devices running firmware versions prior to 1.25. This represents a critical authentication flaw that fundamentally undermines the security posture of these industrial communication systems. The vulnerability resides in the web-based administration interface of these devices, specifically in how they handle password reset operations. The flaw allows any remote attacker to perform password modifications on user accounts without requiring legitimate authentication credentials, effectively bypassing the entire authentication mechanism that should protect administrative access to these critical communication infrastructure components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authentication checks within the web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific HTTP requests to the administration page using the path /index.lua?pageID=Administration with carefully constructed parameters including usernameAdmChange, passwordAdmChange1, and passwordAdmChange2. This unauthenticated access to password reset functionality means that even the default admin account can be compromised without prior knowledge of existing passwords. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-305 Authentication Bypass and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it enables unauthorized access through legitimate administrative accounts. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of proper access control validation, where the system fails to verify that the requesting entity has legitimate authorization to modify account credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple credential compromise, particularly in the maritime and defense sectors where these devices are commonly deployed. These satellite communication systems often serve as critical communication links for naval vessels, emergency response teams, and remote industrial operations where reliable connectivity is paramount. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain complete administrative control over the device, potentially disrupting communications, accessing sensitive data, or even redirecting communications to malicious endpoints. The default admin account being vulnerable creates a particularly dangerous scenario where attackers can immediately gain full system control without needing to enumerate or guess credentials. This vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor into the device's administrative functions, enabling persistent access that could remain undetected for extended periods.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to firmware version 1.25 or later, which addresses this vulnerability through proper authentication checks. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks, while monitoring should be deployed to detect suspicious administrative access patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authentication mechanisms in embedded systems and industrial control environments, where the consequences of credential compromise can be severe. Security professionals should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting these specific URL patterns and parameter combinations. Additionally, regular security assessments of industrial communication equipment should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities that may exist in other components of the operational technology infrastructure.