CVE-2018-6479 in IP Camera
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Netwave IP Camera devices. An unauthenticated attacker can crash a device by sending a POST request with a huge body size to the / URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6479 affects Netwave IP Camera devices and represents a critical denial of service condition that can be exploited without authentication. This flaw exists within the device's web server implementation and specifically targets the handling of POST requests sent to the root URI. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the camera's firmware, creating an exploitable condition where malformed requests can trigger system instability. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no credentials or prior access to the device, making it accessible to any attacker on the network. This vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflow conditions and can be classified as a CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow according to the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The attack leverages the device's failure to properly validate the size of incoming request bodies, allowing an attacker to send arbitrarily large payloads that exceed the device's memory allocation limits.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves sending a POST request containing an excessive payload to the camera's main endpoint at the root URI. When the device processes this request, it attempts to allocate memory for the request body without proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption and subsequent system crash. The device's web server implementation lacks proper resource management controls and does not enforce reasonable limits on request sizes, creating an environment where malicious actors can consume all available memory resources. This type of attack maps directly to the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to system instability. The vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices and highlights the importance of implementing proper request size limits and memory allocation controls in embedded web server implementations. Network traffic analysis reveals that the attack can be executed with minimal network overhead, making it particularly effective in environments where cameras are deployed in large numbers or where network monitoring is limited.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-6479 extends beyond simple device unavailability to potentially disrupt entire security monitoring systems that rely on these cameras. When multiple cameras in a network are vulnerable to this attack, an attacker can systematically disable security infrastructure, creating blind spots in surveillance coverage. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, compromising the ability of organizations to maintain continuous monitoring operations. Organizations using Netwave IP cameras in critical infrastructure, retail environments, or industrial settings face significant operational risks as these devices may become unavailable during peak usage times or security incidents. The crash condition can result in complete loss of video feeds and security monitoring capabilities, potentially leaving facilities vulnerable to physical security breaches. Recovery from such an attack typically requires manual intervention including device reboot or firmware reinstallation, which can take considerable time and may require physical access to affected units. This vulnerability also exposes organizations to potential business continuity issues, as security monitoring systems may be temporarily disabled without warning, potentially allowing unauthorized access to facilities during the outage period.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6479 should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Network administrators should implement firewall rules that limit the size of POST requests allowed to reach camera devices, typically setting reasonable limits such as 10-20 kilobytes for request bodies. The implementation of intrusion detection systems that monitor for unusual traffic patterns or large request sizes can provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. Device firmware updates from Netwave should be applied immediately when available, as the vendor has acknowledged this vulnerability and provided patches to address the memory allocation issues. Organizations should also consider network segmentation to limit access to camera devices and implement network access control lists that restrict which systems can communicate with these devices. Regular network monitoring should include checking for devices that respond to HTTP requests and ensuring that only authorized systems can access camera interfaces. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of secure configuration management for embedded devices and highlights the need for regular security assessments of network infrastructure components. Additionally, implementing network-based security controls such as rate limiting and request size validation at network boundaries can provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities in other networked devices.