CVE-2022-35582 in WAPPLES
Summary
by MITRE • 09/14/2022
Penta Security Systems Inc WAPPLES 4.0.*, 5.0.0.*, 5.0.12.* are vulnerable to Incorrect Access Control. The operating system that WAPPLES runs on has a built-in non-privileged user penta with a predefined password. The password for this user, as well as its existence, is not disclosed in the documentation. Knowing the credentials, attackers can use this feature to gain uncontrolled access to the device and therefore are considered an undocumented possibility for remote control.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-35582 affects Penta Security Systems Inc WAPPLES versions 4.0., 5.0.0., and 5.0.12.* which are security appliances designed for network protection and monitoring. This issue represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the fundamental security posture of these devices by introducing an undocumented backdoor mechanism. The vulnerability stems from the presence of a built-in non-privileged user account named penta that is configured with a predefined password, creating an implicit trust relationship that bypasses normal authentication procedures. This configuration violates security best practices by establishing a hidden credential pair that is not disclosed in official documentation, making it invisible to administrators and security professionals who would normally expect to find such information in standard security documentation. The existence of this account demonstrates poor security hygiene and represents a design flaw that creates an unintended access vector for malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a hardcoded user account that operates outside of normal security protocols, allowing unauthorized individuals to gain access to the device through legitimate administrative interfaces. The password for the penta user is not disclosed in any official documentation, creating a situation where only those who discover this information through reverse engineering or social engineering can exploit the vulnerability. This design pattern aligns with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software, and represents a significant weakness in the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability allows attackers to establish unauthorized access to the device without proper authorization, potentially enabling them to modify security configurations, extract sensitive data, or use the device as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The fact that this account exists at the operating system level suggests that the vulnerability extends beyond application-level access control to encompass the underlying operating system security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with a persistent access mechanism that can be exploited remotely without detection. Once an attacker discovers the penta user credentials, they can potentially compromise the entire device and use it as a foothold for broader network infiltration. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers legitimate credentials, and T1068 which addresses exploit for privilege escalation. The undisclosed nature of this account means that network administrators cannot properly configure access controls or monitor for unauthorized access attempts, creating a significant blind spot in security monitoring systems. Organizations using these devices may experience unauthorized configuration changes, data exfiltration, or the device being used as a command and control server for other attacks. The vulnerability also impacts the device's integrity and availability, as attackers could potentially disrupt services or corrupt system files through this backdoor access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected organizations, including the implementation of network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical systems and the deployment of network monitoring solutions that can detect unusual authentication patterns. Administrators should disable or remove the penta user account if possible, though this may require firmware updates or vendor support to address the root cause. Security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that all user accounts are properly documented and that access controls are enforced through standard authentication mechanisms rather than hardcoded credentials. Network administrators should implement continuous monitoring for authentication events and establish baseline behavior for normal device usage to detect anomalous access patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001, particularly controls related to access control and system configuration management. Regular security assessments should include verification that all system accounts are properly documented and that no unauthorized accounts exist within the system. Additionally, organizations should implement vulnerability management processes that include regular checks for hardcoded credentials and other security misconfigurations that could create similar backdoor access mechanisms.