CVE-2019-7260
📋 TL;DR
Linear eMerge E3-Series access control systems store credentials in cleartext within their database, allowing attackers with database access to obtain administrative credentials. This affects all organizations using these physical security devices for building access control.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linear eMerge E3-Series Access Control Systems
📦 What is this software?
Linear Emerge Elite Firmware by Nortekcontrol
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of physical security systems allowing unauthorized building access, credential theft leading to lateral movement, and potential physical safety risks.
Likely Case
Attackers gain administrative access to access control systems, modify user permissions, create backdoor accounts, and potentially disable security features.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if database access is properly restricted and network segmentation prevents attackers from reaching the vulnerable component.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires database access but is trivial once access is obtained. Public advisories provide technical details.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Firmware updates from Linear (specific version not publicly documented)
Vendor Advisory: https://www.linearcorp.com/support/security-advisories
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Contact Linear support for latest firmware. 2. Backup configuration. 3. Apply firmware update. 4. Restart device. 5. Verify credentials are now encrypted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate access control systems from general network traffic
Database Access Restriction
allImplement strict firewall rules to limit database access to authorized management systems only
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate the eMerge system
- Monitor database access logs for unauthorized connection attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check database for cleartext credentials in user tables (requires database access)Check Version:
Check firmware version via device web interface or serial consoleVerify Fix Applied:
Verify credentials in database are encrypted/hashed after patch application📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized database access attempts
- Multiple failed login attempts to access control system
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected database connections to eMerge system
- SQL queries targeting credential tables
SIEM Query:
source="eMerge" AND (event="database_access" OR event="failed_login")