CVE-2020-21990 in MyDomoAtHome REST API Domoticz ISS Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 04/29/2021
Emmanuel MyDomoAtHome (MDAH) REST API REST API Domoticz ISS Gateway 0.2.40 is affected by an information disclosure vulnerability due to improper access control enforcement. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this, via a specially crafted request to gain access to sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-21990 affects the Emmanuel MyDomoAtHome MDAH REST API implementation within the Domoticz ISS Gateway version 0.2.40. This represents a critical information disclosure flaw that undermines the security posture of domestic automation systems. The vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly authenticate and authorize incoming requests to the REST API endpoints. Attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring any credentials or authentication tokens, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in home automation environments where sensitive personal data and system configurations may be exposed.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues in software systems. The flaw manifests when the REST API fails to implement proper authentication checks before serving sensitive data responses. An attacker can craft malicious requests that bypass the intended access controls, potentially gaining unauthorized access to configuration parameters, user credentials, device information, and other confidential data stored within the domoticz gateway system. This type of vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the security model of the application's authorization framework.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-21990 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within home automation ecosystems. An unauthenticated remote attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially discover network topology information, device identifiers, and configuration details that could facilitate further exploitation attempts. The compromised system may reveal information about connected IoT devices, their communication protocols, and operational parameters that could be leveraged by threat actors for lateral movement within the network or for launching targeted attacks against other connected devices. This vulnerability particularly affects smart home environments where the gateway serves as a central hub for multiple interconnected devices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust access control mechanisms within the REST API implementation. The primary remediation involves enforcing strict authentication requirements for all API endpoints, ensuring that only properly authenticated users can access sensitive information. Security controls should include mandatory authentication tokens, session management, and proper input validation for all incoming requests. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit exposure of the gateway system and consider deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious API access patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage, highlighting the need for proper API security controls and monitoring of REST API traffic to prevent unauthorized information disclosure attacks.