CVE-2019-13166 in Phaser 3320
Summary
by MITRE
Some Xerox printers (such as the Phaser 3320 V53.006.16.000) did not implement account lockout. Local account credentials may be extracted from the device via brute force guessing attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-13166 affects certain Xerox printer models including the Phaser 3320 with firmware version V53.006.16.000 and potentially other devices in the Xerox product line. This represents a significant security weakness in networked printing infrastructure that has been widely deployed in enterprise environments. The flaw stems from the absence of account lockout mechanisms within the printer's authentication system, creating a critical exposure that directly impacts the security posture of organizations relying on these devices for document management and printing services.
The technical implementation flaw lies in the printer's authentication subsystem which fails to enforce account lockout policies when excessive failed login attempts occur. This absence of account lockout functionality creates a window of opportunity for malicious actors to perform brute force attacks against local user accounts. The vulnerability specifically affects local account credentials stored on the device itself, meaning that attackers can systematically guess usernames and passwords without triggering protective mechanisms that would normally prevent such repeated attempts. This weakness directly maps to CWE-307, which addresses improper restriction of repeated authentication attempts, and represents a failure to implement proper access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft and creates a broader security risk for enterprise networks. Attackers with physical or network access to these printers can exploit the weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive documents, modify print queues, or potentially escalate privileges within the network. The vulnerability affects the principle of least privilege and can enable attackers to establish persistent access points within the organization's infrastructure. This weakness particularly impacts environments where printers serve as entry points for lateral movement attacks, as identified in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1078 technique for Valid Accounts and T1087 technique for Account Discovery. Organizations may experience unauthorized document access, potential data exfiltration, and compromised print security that could lead to regulatory compliance violations.
Effective mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of account lockout policies and enhanced authentication mechanisms on affected devices. Network administrators should disable unnecessary local accounts, enforce strong password policies, and implement monitoring solutions to detect suspicious authentication patterns. The recommended approach includes configuring the printer firmware to implement account lockout after a specified number of failed attempts, typically ranging from three to five attempts within a defined time window. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to these devices, deploying secure protocols for printer management, and establishing regular security audits of networked printing infrastructure. The remediation process should also include updating firmware to versions that address the account lockout deficiency and implementing centralized authentication solutions that provide better access control than local printer-based credentials. Organizations must also review their overall printer security posture and consider the deployment of secure print solutions that can provide additional layers of protection against credential compromise attacks.