CVE-2017-14243
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an authentication bypass vulnerability in UTStar WA3002G4 ADSL broadband modems that allows attackers to directly access administrative settings without credentials. Attackers can obtain cleartext credentials from HTML source code, compromising the entire device. This affects users of specific UTStar modem models with vulnerable firmware.
💻 Affected Systems
- UTStar WA3002G4 ADSL Broadband Modem
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device takeover, credential theft, network compromise, and potential lateral movement to connected systems.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to modem settings, credential theft, configuration changes, and potential denial of service.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if device is behind additional firewalls, not internet-facing, and network segmentation is implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Multiple public exploit scripts exist that demonstrate direct access to CGI endpoints without authentication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: No vendor advisory found in provided references
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider replacing affected hardware with supported devices.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Isolation
allPlace the modem behind a firewall and restrict access to management interface
Access Control Lists
allImplement network ACLs to restrict access to modem management IP/ports
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Replace the affected modem with a supported, secure alternative
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate the modem from critical systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Attempt to access http://[modem-ip]/info.cgi without authentication. If it returns configuration data, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check modem web interface or use nmap/curl to identify firmware versionVerify Fix Applied:
Attempt the same access after remediation - should return authentication error or be inaccessible.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to CGI endpoints
- Configuration changes without authenticated sessions
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to /info.cgi, /upload.cgi, /backupsettings.cgi without authentication headers
SIEM Query:
source_ip=* dest_ip=[modem_ip] (uri_path="/info.cgi" OR uri_path="/upload.cgi" OR uri_path="/backupsettings.cgi" OR uri_path="/pppoe.cgi" OR uri_path="/resetrouter.cgi" OR uri_path="/password.cgi") AND NOT http_auth=*🔗 References
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42739/
- https://www.techipick.com/iball-baton-adsl2-home-router-utstar-wa3002g4-adsl-broadband-modem-authentication-bypass
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42739/
- https://www.techipick.com/iball-baton-adsl2-home-router-utstar-wa3002g4-adsl-broadband-modem-authentication-bypass
