CVE-2019-20694 in GS728TP
Summary
by MITRE
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by disclosure of sensitive information. This affects GS728TP before 6.0.0.48, GS728TPPv2 before 6.0.0.48, GS728TPv2 before 6.0.0.48, GS752TPP before 6.0.0.48, and GS752TPv2 before 6.0.0.48.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw affecting multiple NETGEAR managed switches within the GS728TP and GS752TP product families. The affected devices expose sensitive operational data through improper access controls and lack of proper authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically impacts firmware versions prior to 6.0.0.48, indicating that this represents a known issue that was subsequently addressed by the vendor through firmware updates. The disclosure of sensitive information in network infrastructure devices creates significant security implications as these switches often serve as core components in enterprise and organizational network architectures where they handle critical traffic and administrative functions.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient authorization controls that allow unauthorized access to system information that should remain protected. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and represents a failure in the principle of least privilege where system information is accessible without proper authentication. Network switches of this nature typically contain configuration data, user credentials, system logs, and operational parameters that could provide attackers with valuable insights into network topology, device configurations, and potential attack vectors. The vulnerability exists at the application layer where the web interface or management protocols fail to properly validate user permissions before exposing sensitive data elements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within the network environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to network configuration details that might reveal internal IP addressing schemes, VLAN configurations, and device management credentials. This information could facilitate subsequent attacks such as man-in-the-middle operations, network reconnaissance, or privilege escalation attempts. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving credential access and reconnaissance activities that leverage information disclosure to build intelligence for further exploitation. The exposure of sensitive information in network infrastructure devices creates a significant risk for organizations as it reduces the attack surface complexity for potential adversaries while providing them with valuable operational intelligence.
Organizations should immediately implement firmware updates to versions 6.0.0.48 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Network administrators should also conduct comprehensive network assessments to identify any devices running vulnerable firmware versions and ensure proper network segmentation to limit potential attack impact. Additional mitigations include implementing strict access controls for switch management interfaces, enabling secure protocols such as HTTPS and SSH, and regularly monitoring network traffic for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping network infrastructure devices updated with the latest security patches and maintaining proper inventory controls to track all network equipment and their firmware versions. Security monitoring should specifically include detection of unauthorized access attempts to network switch management interfaces, as this represents a common initial access vector for attackers targeting network infrastructure components.