CVE-2018-20100 in Connect Devices
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on August Connect devices. Insecure data transfer between the August app and August Connect during configuration allows attackers to discover home Wi-Fi credentials. This data transfer uses an unencrypted access point for these credentials, and passes them in an HTTP POST, using the AugustWifiDevice class, with data encrypted with a fixed key found obfuscated in the app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20100 represents a critical security flaw in August Connect devices that undermines the fundamental security of home wireless networks. This issue affects August Connect devices that utilize the August app for configuration and management, creating a significant risk for users who rely on these smart home products for security and convenience. The flaw stems from the insecure transmission of sensitive network credentials during the device setup process, which exposes users to potential network compromise and unauthorized access to their home environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the use of unencrypted communication channels during the configuration phase of August Connect devices. Specifically, the August app communicates with the August Connect device through an unencrypted access point that transmits Wi-Fi credentials using HTTP POST requests. This approach violates fundamental security principles for transmitting sensitive information over networks, as HTTP lacks encryption and authentication mechanisms that would normally protect such data in transit. The vulnerability manifests through the AugustWifiDevice class, which handles the credential transmission process and employs a fixed encryption key that has been obfuscated within the application code, making it discoverable to attackers who perform reverse engineering or network analysis.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with direct access to home wireless networks that typically serve as the primary security boundary for residential environments. Once attackers obtain the Wi-Fi credentials through this vulnerability, they can gain unauthorized access to the entire home network, potentially compromising all connected devices including smart home appliances, security cameras, networked computers, and other IoT devices that rely on the same wireless infrastructure. This creates a cascading security risk where a single compromised device can lead to broader network infiltration, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in residential settings where users may not have robust network segmentation or additional security layers in place.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-319, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper transmission of credentials over unencrypted channels. This weakness specifically targets the improper handling of authentication data during network communication processes, where the absence of encryption protocols creates a clear path for eavesdropping attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access through network sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks, where adversaries can capture network traffic to extract sensitive information. The obfuscated fixed key within the application code represents a design flaw that reduces the security of the system and makes the vulnerability more exploitable, as it removes any effective protection against determined attackers who can reverse engineer the application to discover the encryption key.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper encryption protocols for all network communications, particularly during device configuration and credential transmission processes. Organizations should enforce the use of HTTPS or other encrypted communication channels for all data transfers, and eliminate the use of fixed encryption keys in favor of dynamic key exchange mechanisms. Additionally, security measures should include network segmentation to isolate IoT devices from primary network resources, regular security audits of mobile applications, and implementation of secure coding practices that prevent the inclusion of hard-coded cryptographic keys in applications. Users should be advised to immediately change their Wi-Fi passwords after discovering such vulnerabilities and to implement additional security measures including network monitoring and regular firmware updates to address similar security flaws that may exist in other connected devices.