CVE-2018-6907 in RainMachine Mini-8
Summary
by MITRE
A Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Green Electronics RainMachine Mini-8 (2nd Generation) and Touch HD 12 web application allows an attacker to control the RainMachine device via the REST API.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2020
The CVE-2018-6907 vulnerability represents a critical cross site request forgery flaw affecting Green Electronics RainMachine devices including the Mini-8 (2nd Generation) and Touch HD 12 models. This vulnerability resides within the web application interface of these smart irrigation controllers, which are widely deployed in residential and commercial settings for automated water management. The affected devices expose a REST API endpoint that enables remote configuration and control of the irrigation systems, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking unauthorized access to environmental control mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the web application's authentication flow. When legitimate users interact with the RainMachine web interface, the application fails to adequately verify the authenticity of requests originating from the same user session. An attacker can craft malicious web pages or emails containing embedded requests that, when executed by an authenticated user, will perform unauthorized operations on the device through the exposed REST API. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the session management and request validation mechanisms within the device's web server implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass complete control over the irrigation systems. Attackers can manipulate watering schedules, adjust flow rates, modify system configurations, and potentially disable the device entirely. In commercial installations, this could result in significant water waste, property damage from overwatering, or disruption of critical irrigation infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where these devices are deployed in sensitive locations such as greenhouses, agricultural facilities, or municipal water management systems. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed through social engineering tactics that trick authenticated users into visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6907 should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the web application. Organizations should ensure that all state-changing operations through the REST API require proper anti-CSRF tokens that are validated against the user session. This aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities in web applications. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks. Additionally, device firmware updates should be regularly applied to address known vulnerabilities, and administrators should consider implementing multi-factor authentication where possible. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, highlighting the importance of securing externally accessible web interfaces and the potential for credential theft through CSRF attacks that can lead to persistent access to critical infrastructure systems.