CVE-2018-21124 in WAC510
Summary
by MITRE
NETGEAR WAC510 devices before 5.0.0.17 are affected by privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2024
The NETGEAR WAC510 wireless access point devices are vulnerable to a privilege escalation flaw that allows unauthorized users to gain elevated system privileges. This vulnerability affects firmware versions prior to 5.0.0.17 and represents a critical security weakness in the device's access control mechanisms. The flaw enables attackers to bypass normal authentication procedures and execute commands with administrative privileges, potentially compromising the entire network infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and improper privilege management within the device's web interface and command processing components.
The technical implementation of this privilege escalation vulnerability involves a flaw in how the device handles user authentication and authorization requests. Specifically, the WAC510 firmware fails to properly validate user credentials and session management during administrative operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that manipulate the authentication flow, allowing them to execute commands with root-level privileges without proper authentication. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-285: Improper Authorization, which directly relates to the device's failure to enforce proper access controls and privilege boundaries. This flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through the device's web management interface, making it particularly dangerous for network administrators who rely on these interfaces for device configuration and monitoring.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to completely compromise the wireless access point and potentially the broader network. Once authenticated with elevated privileges, an attacker can modify network configurations, disable security features, redirect traffic, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the device's integrity and availability, as attackers can modify critical system parameters or even cause device instability through malicious command execution. This represents a significant risk to enterprise networks where multiple access points are deployed, as compromise of a single device can provide a foothold for lateral movement throughout the network infrastructure.
Network security professionals should immediately implement mitigations including firmware updates to version 5.0.0.17 or later, which address the privilege escalation flaw through enhanced authentication mechanisms and proper privilege validation. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous administrative activities. Regular security assessments should include verification of device firmware versions and implementation of network access controls that restrict administrative access to trusted network segments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of such privilege escalation flaws. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized administrative activities and alert security teams to potential exploitation attempts.