CVE-2026-76179 in NE2-D11
Summary
by MITRE • 08/28/2026
An improper protection of authentication tokens vulnerability exists in certain Ebyte gateway products. Authentication tokens used by the web management interface are insufficiently protected during client-side session handling, which may allow an attacker with access to exposed session information to obtain and reuse a valid token. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to impersonate an authenticated user and gain unauthorized access to device management functionality.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2026
The vulnerability identified in certain Ebyte gateway products represents a critical failure in the implementation of secure session management practices, specifically concerning the handling of authentication tokens within the web-based administrative interface. This flaw stems from improper protection mechanisms that leave sensitive credential data exposed during client-side operations. In modern network infrastructure devices, such as IoT gateways and industrial routers, the web management console serves as a primary vector for configuration, monitoring, and control. When these interfaces rely on session tokens to maintain user state after initial authentication, the integrity of those tokens is paramount. The specific deficiency here involves insufficient safeguards during the storage or transmission phases of client-side session handling, allowing sensitive token data to be accessible in plaintext or through easily exploitable local mechanisms rather than being secured via robust encryption or secure HTTP-only flags that prevent unauthorized script access.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-614, which classifies the improper protection of authentication tokens as a significant security weakness. The core issue lies in how the application manages stateful interactions over stateless protocols like HTTP without adequate protective measures such as secure cookie attributes or server-side session validation that prevents token leakage through browser caches, local storage, or network sniffing if transport layer encryption is compromised. By failing to enforce strict controls on where and how these tokens are retained by the client device, the system creates an attack surface where any entity with physical access to the workstation used for administration, or a user who has been tricked into executing malicious scripts via cross-site scripting vectors, can extract valid session identifiers. This lack of isolation between sensitive authentication data and general browser storage mechanisms undermines the fundamental assumption that once authenticated, subsequent requests are inherently trustworthy without further verification of token integrity and origin.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it directly facilitates unauthorized access to critical device management functionalities. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can obtain valid authentication tokens from an exposed session, effectively hijacking the administrative privileges assigned to that specific user account. This capability allows for impersonation of legitimate administrators without needing to crack passwords or bypass multi-factor authentication mechanisms. Once inside, the adversary gains full control over the gateway’s configuration settings, potentially leading to network segmentation breaches, interception of traffic passing through the device, modification of firewall rules, or complete denial of service by disabling security features. In industrial IoT environments where these Ebyte gateways are often deployed, such unauthorized access can have cascading effects on downstream systems and operational technology networks that rely on the gateway for connectivity and data aggregation.
This scenario is closely mapped to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, which covers Valid Accounts, specifically focusing on Local Account Hijacking or Session Cookie Manipulation depending on the exact exploitation method. The ability to reuse stolen tokens falls under credential access tactics where attackers seek to maintain persistence without triggering alerts associated with brute-force attacks. To mitigate this risk, vendors must implement strict session management protocols that include setting cookies as HttpOnly and Secure, ensuring they are not accessible via JavaScript APIs like document.cookie. Additionally, implementing short-lived token expiration policies combined with robust refresh mechanisms can limit the window of opportunity for attackers to reuse stolen credentials. Administrators should also enforce strong password policies and consider deploying multi-factor authentication where supported by the device firmware to add an additional layer of verification that is independent of session tokens. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on web application logic are essential to identify such implementation flaws before they can be leveraged in production environments.