CVE-2022-35265 in R1510
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2022
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the web_server hashFirst functionality of Robustel R1510 3.1.16 and 3.3.0. A specially-crafted network request can lead to denial of service. An attacker can send a sequence of requests to trigger this vulnerability.The `/action/import_nodejs_app/` API is affected by command injection vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-35265 represents a critical security flaw affecting Robustel R1510 devices running firmware versions 3.1.16 and 3.3.0. This issue manifests through two distinct but related attack vectors that together create a significant threat landscape for affected systems. The primary vulnerability resides within the web_server hashFirst functionality, which serves as a core component of the device's web interface handling mechanism. This particular functionality operates as a hash table implementation that processes incoming requests and manages internal data structures, making it a prime target for denial of service attacks that can render the entire device inoperable.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted network requests that specifically target the hashFirst functionality. When an attacker submits a sequence of malicious requests to the affected system, the hashFirst implementation becomes overwhelmed with malformed data that causes it to enter an unstable state. This condition leads to a complete denial of service where legitimate users cannot access the device's web interface or utilize its network services. The vulnerability's design flaw stems from insufficient input validation and proper error handling within the hash table implementation, allowing attackers to manipulate the internal state through crafted requests that cause the system to crash or become unresponsive. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
The secondary vulnerability within the same device affects the `/action/import_nodejs_app/` API endpoint, which introduces a command injection flaw that significantly amplifies the overall threat. This command injection vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the web server process. The API endpoint fails to properly sanitize user inputs before processing them, creating an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious commands that get executed within the system context. This dual vulnerability landscape means that an attacker who successfully exploits the denial of service component could potentially escalate privileges and gain complete control over the device's operating system. The combination of these vulnerabilities creates a pathway for attackers to not only disrupt services but also to establish persistent access to the device, making the overall impact much more severe than either vulnerability would be in isolation.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-35265 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass complete system compromise and potential data breaches. Organizations utilizing Robustel R1510 devices in industrial control systems, network infrastructure, or remote monitoring applications face significant risk when these devices remain unpatched. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target these devices from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or local network presence. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability encompasses multiple weakness types including CWE-400 for uncontrolled resource consumption and CWE-77 for command injection, both of which are categorized under the broader category of software vulnerabilities that can lead to system compromise. The ATT&CK framework would classify this as a combination of T1498 for network denial of service and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, demonstrating how the initial denial of service can be leveraged to achieve further system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected devices, disabling unnecessary API endpoints, and implementing strict access controls to limit who can interact with the vulnerable web interface. The most effective long-term solution involves applying the vendor-provided firmware updates that address both the hashFirst denial of service and command injection vulnerabilities. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual request patterns targeting the affected API endpoints and monitoring for signs of command execution attempts. Additionally, implementing network intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malicious request sequences will provide defense-in-depth protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of securing industrial IoT devices and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws in web server components can create significant security risks in networked environments.