CVE-2018-7891 in XProtect Video Management Software
Summary
by MITRE
The Milestone XProtect Video Management Software (Corporate, Expert, Professional+, Express+, Essential+) 2016 R1 (10.0.a) to 2018 R1 (12.1a) contains .NET Remoting endpoints that are vulnerable to deserialization attacks resulting in remote code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
The Milestone XProtect Video Management Software vulnerability CVE-2018-7891 represents a critical security flaw in multiple software versions that enables remote code execution through .NET Remoting endpoints. This vulnerability affects the Corporate, Expert, Professional+, Express+, and Essential+ editions of the software, spanning from version 2016 R1 through 2018 R1. The flaw exists within the software's communication infrastructure where .NET Remoting services are exposed, creating an attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to gain unauthorized system access and execute arbitrary code remotely.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insecure deserialization of data within the .NET Remoting framework. When the software receives data through its remoting endpoints, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the incoming serialized objects before processing them. This insecure handling allows attackers to craft malicious serialized objects that, when deserialized, trigger unintended code execution on the target system. The vulnerability specifically affects the .NET Remoting infrastructure which is used for inter-process communication within the software architecture, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at a fundamental level of the application's communication mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Remote code execution capabilities enable attackers to fully compromise affected systems, potentially leading to complete network infiltration and persistent access. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive video surveillance data, modify system configurations, or use compromised systems as launch points for further attacks within the network. The video management software typically operates in security-critical environments where unauthorized access could lead to significant data breaches and operational disruptions. Additionally, the vulnerability affects multiple software variants across several years, indicating a widespread exposure that increases the potential attack surface significantly.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected systems, disabling unnecessary .NET Remoting endpoints, and applying available vendor patches. The vulnerability maps to CWE-502 which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data, and aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving remote code execution and privilege escalation. Security teams should conduct comprehensive network scans to identify all affected systems and implement monitoring for suspicious deserialization activities. Regular security updates and proper input validation practices should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future deployments. The incident highlights the importance of secure coding practices in .NET applications and the critical need for proper validation of serialized data inputs to prevent exploitation of such fundamental architectural flaws.