CVE-2024-29149 in ALE NOE Deskphone
Summary
by MITRE • 05/07/2024
An issue was discovered in Alcatel-Lucent ALE NOE deskphones through 86x8_NOE-R300.1.40.12.4180 and SIP deskphones through 86x8_SIP-R200.1.01.10.728. Because of a time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability, an authenticated attacker is able to replace the verified firmware image with malicious firmware during the update process.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-29149 affects Alcatel-Lucent ALE NOE and SIP deskphones, specifically versions up to 86x8_NOE-R300.1.40.12.4180 and 86x8_SIP-R200.1.01.10.728 respectively. This represents a critical security flaw that stems from a time-of-check time-of-use vulnerability pattern, which is classified under CWE-367. The vulnerability exists within the firmware update mechanism of these telephony devices, creating a window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit the system during the update process. The flaw allows an authenticated attacker with valid credentials to manipulate the firmware update procedure by replacing the legitimate firmware image with malicious code, effectively compromising the device's integrity and operational security.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a race condition where the system performs a verification check at one point in time but then uses different data or conditions at a subsequent point during the update process. This temporal discrepancy creates an exploitable gap where an attacker can substitute the firmware image between the verification step and the actual installation phase. The vulnerability specifically targets the firmware update protocol used by these deskphones, which typically involves downloading an image from a remote server, verifying its integrity through cryptographic checksums or signatures, and then installing the verified image. During this process, the system fails to maintain consistent state validation, allowing for manipulation of the firmware image.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise communication networks that rely on these devices. The authenticated nature of the attack means that an attacker must first gain valid credentials, which could be obtained through social engineering, credential theft, or other initial compromise techniques. Once inside the network, the attacker can leverage this vulnerability to install backdoors, rootkits, or other malicious code that persists across device reboots. The compromised devices could then serve as entry points for lateral movement within the network, potentially enabling attackers to access sensitive communication data or disrupt business operations. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and integrity of voice communication systems, which are critical infrastructure components in many organizations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate firmware updates from Alcatel-Lucent, implementing network segmentation to limit access to these devices, and enforcing strict authentication controls. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual firmware update activities and establish secure boot processes that validate firmware integrity throughout the entire update cycle. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1547.001 for account manipulation and T1078 for valid accounts, as attackers would need legitimate credentials to exploit the vulnerability. Additionally, this flaw demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and state consistency checks in update mechanisms, which corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Network administrators should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can monitor for anomalous firmware update patterns and ensure that all device communications are encrypted using strong protocols to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks during the update process.