CVE-2023-38422: Walchem Intuition 9 Firmware Vulnerability – Missing Authentication Allows Unauthorized Data Downloads

A new security vulnerability has been identified in Walchem Intuition 9 firmware versions, which could potentially expose sensitive data to unauthorized individuals. The vulnerability, designated as CVE-2023-38422, pertains to the missing authentication of management web server's API routes. This oversight permits an attacker to download and export sensitive data without the necessary credentials. In this article, we'll look at the details of this vulnerability, including code snippets and links to original references, so that system administrators and security experts can assess the risk and take appropriate action.

Description of the Vulnerability

The Walchem Intuition 9 firmware versions prior to v4.21 do not properly authenticate users for specific API routes of the management web server. Due to this missing authentication process, an attacker can gain unauthorized access to the API routes and subsequently download and export sensitive data.

The CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifier for this vulnerability is CVE-2023-38422. The CVE database provides detailed descriptions of the vulnerability, as well as any applicable updates and patches, to help those affected understand and ultimately mitigate the risk.

Here's a simple example of an HTTP request that could potentially exploit this vulnerability

import requests

# The target web server address (replace with the actual address)
target_url = "http://192.168.1.1:800/";

# The API route that is missing authentication (replace with the vulnerable route)
api_route = "api/v1/sensitive_data"

# Craft the full URL and perform the exploit
full_url = target_url + api_route
response = requests.get(full_url)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Data successfully downloaded:")
    print(response.text)
else:
    print("Failed to download data.")

This Python script tries to access an unauthenticated API route in the target web server to download the sensitive data.

Note: This code snippet is for informational purposes only. Unauthorized access to systems and data may be illegal, and you should only use such techniques with permission and on systems you own or have the authority to test.

Below are some links to the original references that discovered and reported this vulnerability

1. Vendor Advisory: Link to the vendor's advisory page – This page provides the official statement from the vendor regarding the vulnerability and should include details on any patches or upgrades that address the issue.

2. CVE Details: Link to the CVE details page – This page includes a summary of the vulnerability, the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) score, and other relevant details about the issue.

Exploit Details

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting HTTP requests to access sensitive API routes without proper authentication. The attacker could potentially download sensitive data, which may include user credentials, configuration settings, or other valuable information.

To protect your systems from this vulnerability, it is vital to

1. Update the Walchem Intuition 9 firmware to version v4.21 or newer, which contains the patch for this vulnerability.
2. Implement proper network segmentation and firewall rules to secure the management web server from unauthorized access.
3. Continuously monitor the logs of the management web server for any signs of unauthorized access or data breaches.

In conclusion, the CVE-2023-38422 vulnerability in Walchem Intuition 9 firmware versions prior to v4.21 can pose a serious risk to any installations due to the lack of proper authentication for some API routes. It is crucial that system administrators and security experts stay updated on this vulnerability to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of their systems and data.

Timeline

Published on: 08/23/2023 22:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 09/05/2023 19:41:00 UTC