CVE-2019-17217 in Combi-Steam MSLQ
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on V-Zug Combi-Steam MSLQ devices before Ethernet R07 and before WLAN R05. There is no CSRF protection established on the web service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-17217 affects V-Zug Combi-Steam MSLQ devices, representing a critical security flaw in embedded web services that control household appliances. This issue manifests in devices where the web interface lacks proper cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors. The affected devices operate under firmware versions prior to Ethernet R07 and WLAN R05, indicating this represents a long-standing weakness that was not adequately addressed in the device lifecycle. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects consumer-grade smart appliances that are increasingly connected to home networks and potentially exposed to broader internet access.
The technical flaw stems from the absence of CSRF protection mechanisms within the web service interface of these appliances. Cross-site request forgery occurs when an attacker tricks a victim's browser into submitting unauthorized requests to a web application where the user is authenticated. In this case, the V-Zug devices expose their web interfaces without implementing anti-CSRF tokens, session validation, or other protective measures that would prevent unauthorized command execution. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and represents a fundamental failure in web application security design. Attackers could potentially craft malicious web pages or exploit existing network vulnerabilities to send unauthorized commands to the affected appliances, potentially leading to device manipulation, configuration changes, or other malicious activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it could enable attackers to compromise the entire appliance management system. Given that these are household appliances with potential integration into home automation systems, the exploitation could result in unauthorized device control, configuration changes that affect device functionality, or even create persistent access points for further attacks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects devices that are typically not monitored or updated regularly by end users, creating a persistent threat vector. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and potentially T1566 for Phishing, as attackers could leverage the lack of CSRF protection to manipulate device settings or extract information from the appliance's web interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-17217 should focus on both immediate network-level protections and long-term firmware updates. Organizations and individuals should implement network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical systems and limit their internet exposure. Network administrators should consider implementing firewall rules that restrict access to the appliance web interfaces to trusted IP addresses only, while also ensuring that automatic firmware updates are enabled when available. The device manufacturers should provide firmware updates that implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms, including the use of anti-CSRF tokens and proper session management. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of exposing appliance web interfaces to the internet and encouraged to disable remote access features when not required. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of security by design principles in IoT devices, particularly in consumer appliances where security considerations are often secondary to functionality and cost optimization.