CVE-2018-4066 in AirLink ES450
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable cross-site request forgery vulnerability exists in the ACEManager functionality of Sierra Wireless AirLink ES450 FW 4.9.3. A specially crafted HTTP request can cause an authenticated user to perform privileged requests unknowingly, resulting in unauthenticated requests being requested through an authenticated user. An attacker can get an authenticated user to request authenticated pages on the attacker's behalf to trigger this vulnerability.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2023
The CVE-2018-4066 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the ACEManager component of Sierra Wireless AirLink ES450 firmware version 4.9.3. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of web application security and network device management, where the device fails to properly validate the origin of HTTP requests. The flaw allows an attacker to construct malicious HTTP requests that appear legitimate to the device's authentication system, exploiting the trust relationship between the device and authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically targets the ACEManager functionality which handles administrative operations, making it particularly dangerous as it could enable unauthorized privilege escalation and administrative control over the network device.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the ACEManager's request processing pipeline. When an authenticated user visits a malicious website or interacts with attacker-controlled content, the malicious site can automatically submit HTTP requests to the vulnerable AirLink ES450 device without the user's knowledge or consent. The device's authentication system accepts these requests as legitimate because they originate from an authenticated session, but the requests themselves are crafted to perform privileged operations such as changing network configurations, modifying user accounts, or accessing sensitive system information. This creates a dangerous scenario where the device acts as an unwitting proxy for attacker-controlled actions, effectively bypassing the authentication mechanism through session hijacking techniques that fall under the ATT&CK framework's T1566.001 technique for initial access through spearphishing.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4066 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential network compromise and system manipulation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can perform administrative functions on the AirLink ES450 device, potentially gaining access to network credentials, modifying firewall rules, altering routing configurations, or even disabling security features. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication from the attacker's perspective once they can convince a legitimate user to interact with malicious content, making it a prime candidate for social engineering campaigns. The device's role as a network gateway means that successful exploitation could provide attackers with persistent access to the underlying network infrastructure, creating a foothold for further lateral movement and reconnaissance activities. This aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in web applications, and demonstrates how such flaws can be exploited in embedded network devices to achieve unauthorized system control.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-4066 should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the device's web interface and ensuring proper session management. Network administrators should immediately update the AirLink ES450 firmware to the latest version provided by Sierra Wireless, as this vulnerability has been addressed in subsequent releases. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can limit the potential impact of exploitation by reducing the attack surface available to potential attackers. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in device management requests, and multi-factor authentication should be enabled where possible to add additional layers of protection. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in embedded network devices, particularly regarding the validation of request origins and the implementation of proper session handling mechanisms. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their network infrastructure to identify similar vulnerabilities in other embedded devices, as the same architectural flaws may exist in other vendors' products. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical security considerations necessary when designing web interfaces for network management systems, particularly in environments where physical security and logical access controls must be tightly integrated.