CVE-2020-29382 in V1600D
Summary
by MITRE • 11/29/2020
An issue was discovered on V-SOL V1600D V2.03.69 and V2.03.57, V1600G1 V2.0.7 and V1.9.7, and V1600G2 V1.1.4 OLT devices. A hardcoded RSA private key (specific to V1600D, V1600G1, and V1600G2) is contained in the firmware images.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in V-SOL OLT (Optical Line Terminal) devices that affects multiple product lines including V1600D, V1600G1, and V1600G2 models. The issue stems from the inclusion of a hardcoded RSA private key within the firmware images of these devices, creating a fundamental weakness in the cryptographic security infrastructure. This type of vulnerability is classified as a hardcoded credential issue that violates security best practices and represents a significant risk to network infrastructure security.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the embedding of a specific RSA private key directly into the firmware code of the affected devices, making it accessible to anyone who can obtain or extract the firmware images. This hardcoded key is specifically tied to the V1600D, V1600G1, and V1600G2 product families, meaning that all devices within these model ranges are potentially compromised. The presence of such a key in firmware images creates a persistent security risk because the key cannot be rotated or updated, and its exposure through firmware extraction provides attackers with the ability to impersonate legitimate devices within the network infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, forge device certificates, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the network infrastructure. Network administrators who rely on certificate-based authentication and device identification mechanisms are particularly at risk, as the hardcoded private key allows attackers to generate valid signatures and certificates that would otherwise be rejected by legitimate systems. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and authenticity of network communications, potentially enabling attackers to compromise entire network segments that depend on these devices for their operations.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials) and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and secure configuration practices. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1552.001 (Credentials in Files) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) as attackers could leverage the compromised credentials to establish persistent access and conduct reconnaissance activities. Organizations using these devices should immediately implement firmware updates from V-SOL, conduct comprehensive network audits to identify affected devices, and consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of credential compromise. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure software development practices and the necessity of proper credential management throughout the device lifecycle, particularly in network infrastructure equipment where the consequences of credential compromise can be extensive and far-reaching.