CVE-2024-3496 in e-Studio Multi-Function Peripheral
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2024
Attackers can bypass the web login authentication process to gain access to the printer's system information and upload malicious drivers to the printer. As for the affected products/models/versions, see the reference URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the security posture of affected printer systems. The weakness allows adversaries to circumvent the standard web-based login mechanisms, thereby gaining unauthorized access to sensitive system information and operational capabilities. Such a vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles of access control and authentication, creating a pathway for malicious actors to escalate their privileges without proper credentials. The flaw impacts printer models and versions identified in the referenced documentation, suggesting it may be a widespread issue affecting multiple device families within the same vendor's product line.
The technical implementation of this authentication bypass likely involves a combination of improper session management, weak credential validation, or flawed access control checks within the web interface components. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to retrieve system information including firmware versions, configuration data, user accounts, and potentially sensitive network parameters. The ability to upload malicious drivers represents a particularly dangerous aspect of this flaw, as it enables attackers to install persistent backdoors or modify core printer functionality. This capability aligns with attack patterns described in the attack tree framework where initial access leads to privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential network compromise and supply chain attacks. Printers often serve as entry points into corporate networks, particularly in environments where they are connected to internal systems or have access to sensitive data. Once compromised, these devices can be used as staging points for lateral movement, data exfiltration, or to host malicious payloads that could affect other networked devices. The vulnerability's potential for driver upload creates a persistent threat vector that could remain undetected for extended periods, as printer firmware modifications often go unnoticed by standard network monitoring tools.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate printer systems, disabling unnecessary web interfaces when not required, and implementing robust access control policies. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure authentication implementation and proper input validation as outlined in common weakness enumeration cwe-287 for authentication flaws. Security teams must also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect unusual printer behavior or unauthorized driver installations. Regular firmware updates and security assessments should be prioritized, as this vulnerability may be patched through vendor-supplied security updates. The attack surface reduction strategy should include disabling remote management features when not essential and implementing multi-factor authentication where possible for any remaining administrative access points.