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CVE-2017-8226: Amcrest Ipm 721s Firmware: Hard-coded credentials or backdoor

CVE-2017-8226 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.0 base score of 9.8 and NVD lists Amcrest Ipm 721s Firmware as the affected product. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.

Vulnerability description

Amcrest IPM-721S V2.420.AC00.16.R.20160909 devices have default credentials that are hardcoded in the firmware and can be extracted by anyone who reverses the firmware to identify them. If the firmware version V2.420.AC00.16.R 9/9/2016 is dissected using binwalk tool, one obtains a _user-x.squashfs.img.extracted archive which contains the filesystem set up on the device that many of the binaries in the /usr folder. The binary "sonia" is the one that has the vulnerable function that sets up the default credentials on the device. If one opens this binary in IDA-pro, one will notice that this follows a ARM little endian format. The function sub_3DB2FC in IDA pro is identified to be setting up the values at address 0x003DB5A6. The sub_5C057C then sets this value and adds it to the Configuration files in /mnt/mtd/Config/Account1 file.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.0 9.8: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
  • Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
  • Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
  • User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
  • Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
  • Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
  • Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials

The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.

Affected products

  • Amcrest Ipm 721s Firmware: up to and including 2.420.ac00.16.r.20160909

References