CVE-2018-7782 in Pelco Sarix Professional
Summary
by MITRE
In Schneider Electric Pelco Sarix Professional 1st generation cameras with firmware versions prior to 3.29.69, authenticated users can view passwords in clear text.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7782 affects Schneider Electric Pelco Sarix Professional 1st generation network cameras operating with firmware versions earlier than 3.29.69. This security flaw represents a critical exposure in the authentication and credential management systems of these surveillance devices, where authenticated users can access password credentials in plaintext format. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and inadequate protection mechanisms within the camera's web interface and configuration management components.
This vulnerability falls under the category of weak credential storage and exposure, specifically aligning with CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) and CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials). The technical implementation flaw occurs when the camera's authentication system fails to properly encrypt or obfuscate password fields during transmission or storage, allowing any authenticated user with appropriate privileges to retrieve clear text credentials. The vulnerability exists in the web administration interface where password information is displayed without proper sanitization or encryption mechanisms, creating an attack surface that violates fundamental security principles of credential protection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations relying on these surveillance cameras for security operations. An authenticated attacker with access to the camera's administrative interface can extract plaintext passwords for various system components including camera login credentials, network configuration passwords, and potentially other administrative accounts. This exposure enables lateral movement within the network infrastructure and provides attackers with persistent access to surveillance systems that may contain sensitive operational data. The vulnerability undermines the integrity of the security model by allowing credential theft that could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized surveillance access.
Organizations should immediately upgrade all affected Pelco Sarix Professional 1st generation cameras to firmware version 3.29.69 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit administrative access to these devices, while regular security audits should verify that no unauthorized access has occurred. The mitigation strategy aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing) as it addresses credential exposure and potential privilege escalation through compromised administrative access. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions to detect unusual access patterns and credential retrieval activities can help identify potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all network camera installations to identify similar exposure risks in other surveillance equipment that may share similar implementation flaws.