CVE-2019-11367 in Solar Data Recorder
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in AUO Solar Data Recorder before 1.3.0. The web portal uses HTTP Basic Authentication and provides the account and password in the WWW-Authenticate attribute. By using this account and password, anyone can login successfully.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-11367 affects AUO Solar Data Recorder software versions prior to 1.3.0, presenting a critical security flaw in the web portal authentication mechanism. This issue stems from the improper implementation of HTTP Basic Authentication which exposes sensitive credentials through the WWW-Authenticate header attribute. The flaw represents a fundamental misconfiguration in the authentication protocol where the system fails to properly secure credential transmission and storage, creating an avenue for unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the web portal's reliance on HTTP Basic Authentication without adequate security measures to protect the credentials. When the system generates the WWW-Authenticate header, it inadvertently reveals the account credentials to any attacker who intercepts the response, effectively eliminating the security benefits that should normally be provided by proper authentication mechanisms. This design flaw aligns with CWE-312, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of authentication data. The vulnerability creates a direct path for attackers to bypass legitimate authentication processes by simply extracting the exposed credentials from the HTTP response headers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of the solar data recorder system. Any individual who can intercept network traffic or gain access to the web portal response can immediately authenticate as a legitimate user, potentially gaining access to sensitive operational data, system configuration settings, and control functions. This exposure creates risk for industrial control systems and IoT devices that rely on such authentication mechanisms, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate solar data collection processes or disrupt operations. The vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and privilege escalation categories, where adversaries can leverage exposed credentials to establish persistent access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues. The primary solution involves updating the AUO Solar Data Recorder to version 1.3.0 or later, which presumably implements proper authentication mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including network segmentation, encrypted communication protocols such as HTTPS, and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns. The implementation of stronger authentication methods like token-based authentication or multi-factor authentication should be considered to provide layered security protection. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing of industrial control systems can help identify similar credential exposure vulnerabilities that may exist in other components of the operational technology infrastructure.