CVE-2020-5641 in GS108Ev3
Summary
by MITRE • 11/24/2020
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in GS108Ev3 firmware version 2.06.10 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators and the product's settings may be changed without the user's intention or consent via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2020
This cross-site request forgery vulnerability exists within the GS108Ev3 network switch firmware version 2.06.10 and earlier releases, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of administrative operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the web-based management interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions, thereby bypassing authentication mechanisms and gaining unauthorized access to critical network configuration settings.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The flaw operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the web interface and authenticated users, allowing remote attackers to perform administrative actions without proper authorization. This occurs because the firmware fails to implement robust CSRF protection mechanisms such as unique tokens for each session or origin validation checks that would prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. The vulnerability affects the device's web management interface, which is typically accessible over HTTP or HTTPS protocols, making it exploitable from remote locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to manipulate network configurations without user consent, potentially leading to complete network compromise. Administrators may unknowingly have their settings altered, including changes to network policies, user accounts, or device access controls. This could result in unauthorized network access, data interception, or complete network disruption. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the administrative functions of the network switch, which serves as a critical infrastructure component for network communication and security enforcement.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate firmware updates to versions that address the CSRF vulnerability, as well as network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces. Organizations should implement proper access controls restricting administrative access to trusted networks only, and consider deploying additional security layers such as web application firewalls. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as attackers may use social engineering to exploit this weakness. Regular security assessments and monitoring of administrative access logs should be implemented to detect unauthorized configuration changes, while network administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary web management interfaces when not actively required for maintenance operations.