CVE-2019-18184 – CVE-2019-18184 allows remote attackers to execu... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2019-18184?

CVE-2019-18184 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). CVE-2019-18184 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands as root on Crestron DMC-STRO 1.0 devices by injecting shell metacharacters into the ping function. This affects organizations using these specific Crestron video output cards in their AV systems.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2019-18184 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands as root on Crestron DMC-STRO 1.0 devices by injecting shell metacharacters into the ping function. This affects organizations using these specific Crestron video output cards in their AV systems.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Crestron DMC-STRO

Versions: 1.0

Operating Systems: Embedded Linux

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects the web interface ping functionality. No special configuration required - vulnerable out of the box.

📦 What is this software?

Dmc Stro Firmware by Crestron

View all CVEs affecting Dmc Stro Firmware →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise - attacker gains root access, can install persistent backdoors, pivot to other network segments, or render the device inoperable.

🟠

Likely Case

Remote code execution leading to device takeover, data exfiltration, or use as a foothold for lateral movement within the network.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if device is isolated in a restricted VLAN with strict network segmentation and access controls.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - If exposed to the internet, devices can be directly exploited without any authentication.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Even internally, the vulnerability requires no authentication and can be exploited by any network-accessible attacker.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploit is trivial - requires only sending crafted HTTP requests to the ping endpoint with shell metacharacters.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Firmware update from Crestron (specific version not publicly documented)

Vendor Advisory: https://www.crestron.com/en-US/Products/Video/DigitalMedia-Modular-Matrix/Output-Cards-Blades/DMC-STRO

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download latest firmware from Crestron website. 2. Upload firmware via device web interface. 3. Reboot device after installation.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Segmentation

all

Isolate DMC-STRO devices in a restricted VLAN with no internet access and limited internal connectivity.

Access Control Lists

all

Implement firewall rules to restrict access to DMC-STRO devices only from authorized management stations.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Immediately isolate affected devices from internet and restrict network access to management-only VLANs
Monitor network traffic to/from DMC-STRO devices for unusual patterns or exploit attempts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Test by sending a crafted ping request with shell metacharacters to the device's web interface ping endpoint

Check Version:

Check firmware version via device web interface or SSH if accessible

Verify Fix Applied:

Attempt the same exploit after patching - should receive proper error handling instead of command execution

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual command execution in system logs
Multiple failed ping attempts with special characters
Root user activity from web interface

Network Indicators:

HTTP POST requests to ping endpoint containing shell metacharacters
Unexpected outbound connections from DMC-STRO devices

SIEM Query:

source="dmc-stro" AND (url="*ping*" AND (data="*;*" OR data="*|*" OR data="*`*"))

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2019-18184

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-78

Published: November 27, 2019

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://www.crestron.com/en-US/Products/Video/DigitalMedia-Modular-Matrix/Output-Cards-Blades/DMC-STRO Product
https://www.quantumleap.it/crestron-dmc-stro-remote-root-rce/ Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://www.quantumleap.it/news/advisory/ Third Party Advisory
https://www.crestron.com/en-US/Products/Video/DigitalMedia-Modular-Matrix/Output-Cards-Blades/DMC-STRO Product
https://www.quantumleap.it/crestron-dmc-stro-remote-root-rce/ Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://www.quantumleap.it/news/advisory/ Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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