CVE-2018-5708 in DIR-601 B1
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on D-Link DIR-601 B1 2.02NA devices. Being on the same local network as, but being unauthenticated to, the administrator's panel, a user can obtain the admin username and cleartext password in the response (specifically, the configuration file restore_default), which is displayed in XML.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2024
This vulnerability exists in D-Link DIR-601 B1 2.02NA wireless routers where improper authentication mechanisms allow unauthorized local network users to access administrative credentials through a configuration file restoration function. The flaw stems from the device's failure to properly validate user permissions when processing requests to the restore_default endpoint, which returns sensitive administrative information in cleartext format within XML responses. This represents a critical security oversight that violates fundamental principles of access control and credential protection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient authentication and authorization checks within the device's web interface. When a local network user sends a request to the configuration file restore_default function, the system responds with XML data containing both the administrator username and password in plain text format. This occurs because the device does not properly verify whether the requesting user possesses administrative privileges before returning sensitive configuration data. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and specifically aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access through network services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers within the same local network segment to obtain administrative credentials without requiring any authentication. Once obtained, these credentials provide full administrative control over the router, allowing attackers to modify network settings, implement man-in-the-middle attacks, redirect traffic, or establish persistent backdoors. The cleartext transmission of credentials violates security best practices and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in shared network environments where unauthorized users may have physical access to network infrastructure. This vulnerability affects not only the device's immediate security posture but also compromises the entire local network by providing attackers with a gateway to deeper network resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates from D-Link to address the authentication bypass issue, implementation of network segmentation to limit local network access, and deployment of network monitoring tools to detect unusual traffic patterns. Organizations should also enforce strict access control policies for network devices, implement secure configuration management practices, and regularly audit network infrastructure for similar authentication flaws. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in embedded network devices, emphasizing the need for security-by-design principles in IoT and networking equipment development. Network administrators should also consider implementing network access control lists and disabling unnecessary services to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities.