CVE-2016-5070
📋 TL;DR
Sierra Wireless GX 440 devices with ALEOS firmware 4.3.2 store passwords in cleartext, allowing attackers with access to the device's storage or configuration files to read sensitive credentials. This affects organizations using these cellular routers for IoT, industrial, or remote connectivity applications.
💻 Affected Systems
- Sierra Wireless GX 440
📦 What is this software?
Aleos Firmware by Sierrawireless
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain administrative access to all affected devices, enabling complete network compromise, data interception, device takeover, and lateral movement into connected networks.
Likely Case
Attackers with physical or logical access to devices extract passwords, gaining administrative control to modify configurations, intercept traffic, or disrupt operations.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and access controls, impact is limited to isolated devices without exposing broader infrastructure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires access to device storage or configuration files, but the vulnerability itself is simple to exploit once access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: ALEOS firmware 4.3.3 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://carvesystems.com/sierra-wireless-2016-advisory.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest firmware from Sierra Wireless support portal. 2. Backup device configuration. 3. Upload and install firmware update via web interface or CLI. 4. Reboot device. 5. Verify firmware version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict physical and network access
allLimit who can physically access devices and restrict network access to management interfaces.
Change all passwords
allChange administrative and user passwords after patching to invalidate any potentially exposed credentials.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected devices in separate network segments with strict firewall rules
- Implement multi-factor authentication and monitor for unauthorized access attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check firmware version via web interface (System > About) or CLI command 'show version'Check Version:
show versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm firmware version is 4.3.3 or later and check that passwords are no longer stored in cleartext configuration files📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized configuration changes
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful login
- Unusual administrative access patterns
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected configuration file transfers
- Unauthorized access to management interfaces
- Traffic patterns inconsistent with normal operations
SIEM Query:
source="gx440" AND (event_type="config_change" OR event_type="auth_success" FROM unknown_ip)