CVE-2018-19613 in DR-250 Pre-5162
Summary
by MITRE
Westermo DR-250 Pre-5162 and DR-260 Pre-5162 routers allow CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2023
The Westermo DR-250 Pre-5162 and DR-260 Pre-5162 routers present a significant cross-site request forgery vulnerability that compromises the security of network infrastructure devices. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in web applications and network devices. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms within the router's web management interface, allowing unauthorized attackers to manipulate the device's configuration through malicious web requests. The affected models represent industrial network equipment commonly deployed in critical infrastructure environments where unauthorized access could lead to severe operational disruptions.
The technical flaw manifests in the router's web interface implementation where state-changing requests lack proper validation of request origins or anti-CSRF tokens. When an authenticated user visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the attacker can forge requests that appear to originate from the legitimate user's browser session. This occurs because the router's management interface does not implement robust session validation mechanisms or cryptographic tokens that would prevent unauthorized request execution. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates at the application layer of the network stack, targeting the web-based administrative interface that provides access to critical routing configurations and network parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential network disruption and security compromise. An attacker could exploit this weakness to modify routing tables, change network parameters, disable security features, or redirect network traffic through malicious configuration changes. In industrial environments where these routers are deployed, such attacks could result in significant service interruptions, data exfiltration, or even physical infrastructure damage. The vulnerability affects the availability and integrity of network services, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access points or create backdoors within the network infrastructure. This represents a critical threat to industrial control systems and network security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper anti-CSRF protections within the web interface of affected devices. Network administrators should immediately apply vendor-provided security patches or firmware updates that address the CSRF implementation flaw. Additionally, organizations should implement network segmentation to limit direct access to administrative interfaces and deploy web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests. The implementation of multi-factor authentication and secure remote access protocols should also be considered to reduce the attack surface. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1566 for Phishing, as attackers could leverage CSRF to manipulate network configurations and potentially establish persistent access through compromised administrative sessions. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of industrial network equipment to identify similar implementation flaws that could compromise operational technology environments.