CVE-2019-3497 in UniBox
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Wifi-soft UniBox controller 0.x through 2.x devices. The tools/ping Ping feature of the Diagnostic Tools component is vulnerable to Remote Command Execution, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary system commands on the server with root user privileges. Authentication for accessing this component can be bypassed by using Hard coded credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-3497 affects Wifi-soft UniBox controller devices running firmware versions 0.x through 2.x, presenting a critical security risk that combines authentication bypass with remote command execution capabilities. This flaw exists within the diagnostic tools component, specifically the tools/ping functionality that should only serve legitimate diagnostic purposes but has been designed with insufficient input validation and access controls. The vulnerability stems from the use of hardcoded credentials that allow unauthorized users to gain access to the diagnostic interface without proper authentication, creating a backdoor that bypasses all normal security mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a command injection flaw within the ping utility functionality of the UniBox controller's web interface. When an attacker accesses the diagnostic tools component using the hardcoded credentials, they can manipulate the ping command input to execute arbitrary system commands with root privileges. This represents a classic command injection vulnerability that allows full system compromise, enabling attackers to gain complete control over the affected device. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring physical access to the device or any legitimate user credentials beyond the hardcoded ones.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over affected UniBox devices. Once exploited, attackers can execute any command available to the root user, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system modification, network reconnaissance, or use of the compromised device as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability affects the entire network infrastructure managed by these controllers, as they likely control critical network access points and may serve as gateways to other network segments. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of network services, potentially allowing attackers to disrupt network operations or establish persistent access to the environment.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including disabling unused diagnostic features, changing hardcoded credentials if possible, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to these devices. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-88 categories related to command injection and improper input validation, and maps to ATT&CK techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider network monitoring for unusual ping traffic patterns and implement proper access controls including multi-factor authentication where available. The incident underscores the importance of secure configuration management and the elimination of hardcoded credentials in embedded network devices, as these represent common attack vectors that can be exploited to gain complete system compromise.