CVE-2019-10706 in SanDisk X300
Summary
by MITRE
Western Digital SanDisk SanDisk X300, X300s, X400, and X600 devices: The firmware update authentication method relies on a symmetric HMAC digest. The key used to validate this digest is present in a protected area of the device, and if extracted could be used to install arbitrary firmware to other devices.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2024
This vulnerability affects Western Digital SanDisk X300, X300s, X400, and X600 storage devices where the firmware update authentication mechanism employs a symmetric HMAC digest for validation. The security model relies on a secret key embedded within a protected memory area of the device hardware. This design creates a fundamental weakness in the device's security architecture as the cryptographic key necessary to validate firmware updates exists within the device's firmware itself, making it potentially accessible to attackers with sufficient technical capability and physical access to the device.
The technical flaw stems from the implementation of symmetric key cryptography where the same secret key serves both to generate and verify HMAC signatures during firmware updates. This approach violates security best practices as the key material becomes exposed within the device's memory structure, creating a potential attack surface for malicious actors who can extract this key through reverse engineering, memory dumping, or physical device manipulation techniques. The vulnerability represents a classic case of hardcoded credentials or embedded cryptographic keys that should remain protected and inaccessible to unauthorized parties.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to bypass legitimate firmware update mechanisms and install malicious firmware on affected devices. Once an attacker extracts the HMAC validation key, they can generate valid signatures for arbitrary firmware images, effectively enabling them to compromise the device's integrity and potentially gain persistent control over the storage device. This creates opportunities for data exfiltration, device manipulation, or exploitation of the storage device as part of larger attack campaigns targeting enterprise or consumer environments where these devices are deployed.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310 (Cryptographic Issues) and specifically CWE-321 (Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key) which categorizes the exposure of cryptographic keys within software or firmware as a critical security weakness. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1547.001 (Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys) when considering potential exploitation paths, though the initial access vector would likely involve physical device compromise or advanced persistent threat techniques. The device manufacturers should implement proper key management and secure storage mechanisms, ensuring cryptographic keys are stored in tamper-resistant hardware modules and are never accessible through standard firmware interfaces or memory dump operations. Mitigation strategies include firmware updates that implement secure key storage, hardware-based security modules, and the elimination of hardcoded cryptographic materials in favor of more robust authentication mechanisms such as asymmetric cryptography or secure element-based key management systems.