CVE-2022-21199 in RLC-410W
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2022
An information disclosure vulnerability exists due to the hardcoded TLS key of reolink RLC-410W v3.0.0.136_20121102. A specially-crafted man-in-the-middle attack can lead to a disclosure of sensitive information. An attacker can perform a man-in-the-middle attack to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2022
The CVE-2022-21199 vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw affecting the reolink RLC-410W security camera model with firmware version 3.0.0.136_20121102. This vulnerability stems from the improper implementation of transport layer security mechanisms within the device's communication stack, specifically manifesting through the presence of a hardcoded TLS key that remains unchanged across all affected units. The flaw fundamentally compromises the device's ability to establish secure encrypted connections, creating an exploitable condition that directly violates established security protocols for network communications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a hardcoded cryptographic key embedded within the firmware of the reolink device, which serves as the root cause of the information disclosure risk. This hardcoded key eliminates the dynamic generation of secure cryptographic material typically required for establishing trusted TLS connections, making the device susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak or hardcoded cryptographic keys, and specifically demonstrates the dangers of insufficient key management practices in embedded security systems. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting network traffic between the camera and its management systems, potentially gaining access to sensitive data streams, authentication credentials, or configuration parameters that would normally be protected by encryption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential complete system compromise and unauthorized surveillance access. When exploited through a man-in-the-middle attack, adversaries can decrypt network communications, potentially gaining access to video streams, user credentials, or administrative access to the device configuration interfaces. This vulnerability creates a persistent security risk for organizations relying on these devices for perimeter security, as the hardcoded key remains consistent across all units in the affected firmware version, meaning a single successful attack can reveal the cryptographic material needed to compromise multiple devices within the same network. The attack vector leverages standard network interception techniques that are readily available to threat actors, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where network traffic is not properly secured.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates from the vendor to address the hardcoded key implementation and restore proper cryptographic key generation mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate affected devices from critical infrastructure and deploy network monitoring solutions to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks targeting these specific devices. The remediation process must include verifying that updated firmware versions properly implement dynamic key generation and certificate management rather than relying on hardcoded cryptographic material. Security teams should also consider implementing additional network security controls such as encrypted network protocols, secure DNS configurations, and regular vulnerability assessments to prevent similar issues in other networked devices. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic key management practices in IoT devices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through network interception attacks.