CVE-2018-7943 in Server
Summary
by MITRE
There is an authentication bypass vulnerability in some Huawei servers. A remote attacker with low privilege may bypass the authentication by some special operations. Due to insufficient authentication, an attacker may exploit the vulnerability to get some sensitive information and high-level users' privilege.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7943 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw affecting certain Huawei server implementations. This security weakness stems from inadequate authentication mechanisms that allow unauthorized individuals to circumvent normal access controls through specially crafted operations. The vulnerability specifically impacts Huawei servers where the authentication process fails to properly validate user credentials or session states, creating a pathway for malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
The technical nature of this flaw falls under the category of insufficient authentication as classified by CWE-287, where the system does not adequately verify the identity of users attempting to access protected resources. This weakness enables a remote attacker with minimal privileges to perform operations that should require higher-level authentication, effectively elevating their access rights within the system. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where authentication checks are improperly implemented or bypassed through specific sequences of actions that exploit design flaws in the authentication workflow.
From an operational perspective, this authentication bypass vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise security infrastructure. Attackers who successfully exploit this weakness can access sensitive information that should be protected by authentication controls, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and privilege escalation to administrator-level accounts. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as the vulnerability enables attackers to assume the identity of legitimate users with elevated privileges, making detection and attribution more challenging. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can result in comprehensive system compromise when exploited effectively.
The attack vector for this vulnerability typically involves remote exploitation without requiring initial access credentials, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing for Information) as attackers can leverage the bypass to establish persistent access using legitimate user credentials. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Huawei, network segmentation to limit access to affected servers, and enhanced monitoring of authentication events. Additional protective measures include implementing multi-factor authentication, regular security assessments, and ensuring proper access control configurations to prevent exploitation of similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of robust authentication design and regular security auditing of enterprise server infrastructure to prevent unauthorized access and maintain system integrity.