CVE-2020-29378 in V1600D
Summary
by MITRE • 11/29/2020
An issue was discovered on V-SOL V1600D V2.03.69 and V2.03.57, V1600D4L V1.01.49, V1600D-MINI V1.01.48, V1600G1 V2.0.7 and V1.9.7, and V1600G2 V1.1.4 OLT devices. It is possible to elevate the privilege of a CLI user (to full administrative access) by using the password !j@l#y$z%x6x7q8c9z) for the enable command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2020
This vulnerability exists in multiple V-SOL OLT device models including V1600D, V1600D4L, V1600D-MINI, V1600G1, and V1600G2 with specific firmware versions. The flaw represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated CLI users to gain full administrative access to the device through a hardcoded password mechanism. The specific password !j@l#y$z%x6x7q8c9z) serves as a backdoor that bypasses normal authentication procedures and elevates user privileges from standard CLI access to full administrative control over the network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from poor security practices in password management and authentication design. This weakness aligns with CWE-259: Use of Hard-coded Password and CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials, where default or hardcoded passwords are embedded within the device firmware. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the device's security architecture where a predictable, hardcoded password exists in the system configuration, allowing any authenticated user to escalate their privileges without proper authorization mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to network security infrastructure. Network administrators who believe they have secured their OLT devices through standard authentication procedures are actually vulnerable to complete system compromise. The attack vector is straightforward - an attacker who gains access to any CLI user account can simply execute the enable command with the hardcoded password to obtain full administrative privileges. This compromises the entire network infrastructure, potentially allowing unauthorized access to customer data, network traffic interception, and complete network control.
The impact extends beyond immediate privilege escalation as it represents a persistent security weakness that affects multiple device models across different firmware versions. This suggests a systemic issue in the vendor's security practices rather than isolated device-specific problems. Organizations using these devices face significant risk of network compromise, data breaches, and potential service disruption. The vulnerability's presence in multiple firmware versions indicates that the security flaw was not properly addressed through firmware updates, leaving networks exposed for extended periods.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate firmware updates from V-SOL to address the hardcoded password issue, implementation of network segmentation to limit access to these devices, and enforcement of strict access controls with unique, complex passwords for all administrative accounts. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual enable command usage patterns, and regular security audits should verify that no hardcoded credentials remain in the system. Organizations should also consider implementing network access control lists and multi-factor authentication mechanisms to reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where adversaries exploit weaknesses in authentication systems to gain elevated privileges.