CVE-2016-6825
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Huawei servers allows remote attackers to brute-force passwords due to insufficient authentication protection mechanisms. Attackers can potentially obtain administrative credentials for affected Huawei XH620 V3, XH622 V3, XH628 V3, RH1288 V3, RH2288 V3, and RH2288H V3 servers running outdated software versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Huawei XH620 V3
- Huawei XH622 V3
- Huawei XH628 V3
- Huawei RH1288 V3
- Huawei RH2288 V3
- Huawei RH2288H V3
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of server management interface leading to full administrative control, data theft, system manipulation, and potential lateral movement to other systems.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to server management interface allowing configuration changes, service disruption, and credential harvesting.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, strong authentication controls, and monitoring in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Brute-force attacks are well-understood and tools for password guessing are widely available. No authentication required to attempt exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: XH620/XH622/XH628: V100R003C00SPC610 or later; RH1288: V100R003C00SPC613 or later; RH2288: V100R003C00SPC617 or later; RH2288H: V100R003C00SPC515 or later
Vendor Advisory: http://www.huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20160817-01-server-en
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the appropriate firmware update from Huawei support portal. 2. Apply the update through the server management interface. 3. Reboot the server to complete the installation. 4. Verify the firmware version is updated to the patched version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
linuxRestrict access to server management interfaces to trusted networks only
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [management-port] -s [trusted-network] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [management-port] -j DROP
Rate Limiting
linuxImplement rate limiting on authentication attempts at network level
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [management-port] -m state --state NEW -m recent --set
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [management-port] -m state --state NEW -m recent --update --seconds 60 --hitcount 5 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit management interface access to authorized IP addresses only
- Enable multi-factor authentication if supported, or implement strong password policies with account lockout mechanisms
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the server firmware version through the management interface or using Huawei's management tools. Compare against affected version ranges.Check Version:
Check via iBMC/iMana web interface or using Huawei's management software (e.g., Huawei Server Management Software)Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm firmware version is at or above the patched versions specified in the vendor advisory.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed authentication attempts from single source
- Successful logins from unusual IP addresses
- Authentication logs showing brute-force patterns
Network Indicators:
- High volume of authentication requests to server management ports (typically 80/443/623/664)
- Traffic patterns consistent with password guessing tools
SIEM Query:
source="server-management" (event_type="authentication_failure" count>10 within 5min) OR (event_type="authentication_success" from new_ip)