CVE-2023-33754 in Cloud WiFi
Summary
by MITRE • 06/01/2023
The captive portal in Inpiazza Cloud WiFi versions prior to v4.2.17 does not enforce limits on the number of attempts for password recovery, allowing attackers to brute force valid user accounts to gain access to login credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-33754 affects the captive portal functionality within Inpiazza Cloud WiFi software versions earlier than v4.2.17. This represents a critical security weakness in the authentication system that governs access to wireless networks through the captive portal interface. The captive portal serves as the initial gateway where users must authenticate before gaining network access, making it a prime target for unauthorized access attempts. The flaw manifests in the password recovery mechanism which lacks proper rate limiting or account lockout controls, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the security posture of the entire wireless infrastructure.
This vulnerability stems from a fundamental failure in implementing proper authentication controls and access management policies. The absence of attempt limiting mechanisms allows attackers to conduct unlimited brute force operations against user accounts during the password recovery process. From a technical perspective, the system does not enforce any form of account lockout threshold or temporary account suspension after a predetermined number of failed authentication attempts. This design flaw directly violates established security principles and best practices for authentication systems, creating an environment where automated attack tools can systematically test password combinations without encountering any deliberate obstacles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with a pathway to gain unauthorized access to network resources and potentially escalate privileges within the wireless infrastructure. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to access sensitive network data, monitor user communications, or use the compromised accounts as entry points for further attacks within the organization's network ecosystem. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the initial authentication phase where users are most likely to attempt password recovery, making it a high-value target for attackers seeking to compromise legitimate user accounts. The lack of monitoring or alerting mechanisms for suspicious authentication patterns further compounds the risk by allowing attacks to proceed undetected.
Security controls and industry standards such as the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification for weak authentication mechanisms directly apply to this vulnerability, which falls under CWE-307 and CWE-308 categories related to improper restriction of repeated authentication attempts. The MITRE ATT&CK framework would classify this vulnerability under the credential access tactics, specifically targeting the 'Brute Force' and 'Credential Stuffing' techniques where attackers exploit weak authentication controls to gain unauthorized access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch to version v4.2.17 or later, implementing rate limiting for password recovery attempts, configuring account lockout mechanisms after failed attempts, and deploying monitoring solutions to detect unusual authentication patterns. Additionally, network administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of all captive portal implementations and ensure proper configuration of authentication controls to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other network infrastructure components.