CVE-2018-20955 in SWWHD-INTCAM-HD
Summary
by MITRE
Swann SWWHD-INTCAM-HD devices have the twipc root password, leading to FTP access as root.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2023
The Swann SWWHD-INTCAM-HD device represents a significant security vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20955, where the device ships with a hardcoded root password known as "twipc" in its firmware configuration. This vulnerability falls under the category of weak authentication mechanisms and hardcoded credentials, which are classified as CWE-798 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The presence of such default credentials creates an inherent risk that persists across device deployments without proper credential management or user intervention.
The technical flaw manifests through the device's FTP service configuration, which allows unauthorized access to the system with root privileges using the hardcoded password. This represents a critical security misconfiguration that enables attackers to gain full administrative control over the surveillance camera system. The vulnerability exists at the authentication layer where default credentials are not only present but actively enabled, bypassing any security controls that might otherwise be in place for access management. This type of flaw directly violates security best practices and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1046 for Network Service Scanning.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete control over the camera's functionality, including video streaming, recording capabilities, and configuration settings. An attacker with root access can modify camera settings, disable security features, capture video feeds without authorization, or even use the device as a pivot point for further network exploration. The implications are particularly severe for surveillance systems where the camera serves as a security monitoring tool, as the attacker could potentially compromise the entire security infrastructure by leveraging the root access to manipulate or disable protective measures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must include immediate credential rotation to replace the hardcoded root password with a strong, unique administrative password. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate these devices from critical network segments, and regular security audits should be conducted to verify that default credentials have been removed. Device firmware should be updated to versions that address this specific vulnerability, and organizations should implement automated systems to detect and alert on the presence of default credentials. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual FTP access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper credential management and the necessity of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that do not rely solely on default security configurations.