CVE-2020-7231 in Home
Summary
by MITRE
Evoko Home 1.31 devices provide different error messages for failed login requests depending on whether the username is valid.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7231 affects Evoko Home 1.31 devices and represents a classic account enumeration flaw that exposes critical information about system users through inconsistent error messaging. This issue falls under the category of information disclosure vulnerabilities and directly impacts the security posture of IoT devices by providing attackers with valuable reconnaissance data. The flaw manifests when the system responds differently to authentication attempts based on whether the username exists in the system, creating a side-channel attack vector that can be exploited by malicious actors. According to CWE-200, this vulnerability represents an information disclosure weakness where the system inadvertently reveals information about its internal state through error messages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the device's authentication mechanism failing to provide consistent error responses regardless of whether the username exists or not. When an attacker attempts to log in with a valid username but incorrect password, the device returns one type of error message that indicates the user account exists. Conversely, when attempting to log in with a non-existent username, the device provides a different error message that suggests the account does not exist. This differential response allows for account enumeration attacks where an attacker can systematically test usernames to determine which ones are valid within the system. The vulnerability specifically affects IoT devices that implement web-based authentication interfaces and demonstrates poor security design principles in authentication response handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables more sophisticated attack vectors including brute force attacks, credential stuffing, and user enumeration campaigns. Attackers can leverage this information to focus their efforts on valid accounts, significantly reducing the time and resources required for successful unauthorized access. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers valid accounts and credential access through the exploitation of weak authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise if combined with other attack vectors, as it provides the initial foothold for further reconnaissance and privilege escalation activities. Organizations using these devices face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and possible disruption of services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-7231 should focus on implementing consistent error messaging across all authentication attempts regardless of account validity. The primary solution involves modifying the authentication system to return identical error messages for both valid and invalid username attempts, eliminating the side-channel information leak. Organizations should also implement rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms to prevent automated enumeration attacks, while ensuring that authentication responses do not reveal whether an account exists. Additionally, implementing proper logging and monitoring of authentication attempts can help detect and respond to suspicious activities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting thorough security testing of authentication mechanisms before deployment, as outlined in industry standards for secure software development practices.