CVE-2020-11780 in D7800
Summary
by MITRE
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by stored XSS. This affects D7800 before 1.0.1.56, R7500v2 before 1.0.3.46, R7800 before 1.0.2.68, R8900 before 1.0.4.28, R9000 before 1.0.4.28, RAX120 before 1.0.0.78, XR500 before 2.3.2.56, and XR700 before 1.0.1.10.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-11780 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple NETGEAR networking devices within their consumer and small business product lines. This vulnerability resides in the web-based management interfaces of affected routers and wireless access points, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by remote attackers. The affected models include popular devices such as the D7800, R7500v2, R7800, R8900, R9000, RAX120, XR500, and XR700 series, all of which share a common web interface component that fails to properly sanitize user input before storing and rendering it within the device's administrative console.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the device's web management interface. When administrators or legitimate users enter data into specific fields within the device configuration pages, the system fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the device's memory and execute whenever the affected web interface is accessed by any user. The vulnerability is classified as stored XSS because the malicious payload is saved on the device's server-side storage rather than being reflected in a single request, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect any user who accesses the compromised interface.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to network security and device integrity. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to the device's administrative functions, potentially leading to complete network compromise. The stored nature of the XSS payload means that even after the initial attack vector is closed, the malicious code continues to execute whenever the web interface is accessed, making detection and remediation challenging. Network administrators may unknowingly execute malicious scripts when performing routine maintenance or troubleshooting activities, potentially leading to data exfiltration, network disruption, or further lateral movement within the compromised network environment. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should prevent user-controllable input from being directly rendered without proper sanitization.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the network infrastructure. Attackers can leverage the stored XSS to steal administrative session cookies, modify device configurations, redirect users to malicious sites, or even inject additional malware into the network. This vulnerability particularly affects the ATT&CK framework's technique T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol tunneling, and T1566, which addresses credential harvesting through social engineering or direct exploitation of web applications. Organizations using these affected NETGEAR devices face potential exposure to man-in-the-middle attacks, unauthorized network modifications, and complete loss of device control. The vulnerability's prevalence across multiple device models within the NETGEAR portfolio indicates a systemic flaw in the web interface implementation that requires immediate attention and remediation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates from NETGEAR to address the stored XSS flaw in all affected device models. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit access to these devices to authorized personnel only, and consider disabling unnecessary web management interfaces when possible. Regular monitoring of device web interfaces for suspicious activity and implementing web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, as outlined in OWASP's top ten security risks and the defense-in-depth principles recommended by NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also establish robust patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all network infrastructure components, particularly those with web-based management interfaces that could be exploited through similar vulnerabilities.