CVE-2024-51978: Unauthenticated Default Administrator Password Generation

Overview

In the midst of constantly evolving cyber threats, a new vulnerability has surfaced that poses a serious threat to data integrity and system security. Identified as CVE-2024-51978, this vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker who knows the target device’s serial number to generate the default administrator password for the device. This vulnerability can thus provide an attacker unauthorized access, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Given the pervasive nature of the devices that could be affected, and the potential for significant damage, addressing this vulnerability should be an immediate priority for all system administrators and security professionals.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-51978
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Device X | All versions
Device Y | All versions

How the Exploit Works

The exploit works by leveraging an attacker’s ability to discover a target device’s serial number via CVE-2024-51977 over HTTP/HTTPS/IPP, or via a PJL request, or via an SNMP request. Once the attacker has the serial number, they can generate the default administrator password for the device, thus gaining unauthorized access.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual demonstration of how an HTTP request exploiting this vulnerability might look:

GET /device/info HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "request": "serial_number" }

And then,

POST /admin/login HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "serial_number": "1234567890", "password": "generated_password" }

In the above example, the attacker first sends a GET request to retrieve the serial number of the device. Once obtained, they generate the default administrator password and send a POST request to login as the administrator.

Mitigation Guidance

To mitigate this vulnerability, the primary recommendation is to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. Until then, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide some level of temporary protection. Additionally, it is recommended to regularly monitor system logs for any suspicious activity and to change default administrator passwords regularly.