CVE-2019-9659 – This vulnerability affects Chuango and other br... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2019-9659?

CVE-2019-9659 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability affects Chuango and other branded 433 MHz burglar alarm systems that use static codes in their RF remote controls. Attackers can capture and replay these codes to remotely arm, disarm, or trigger alarms without authorization. This impacts all users of affected alarm systems regardless of configuration.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability affects Chuango and other branded 433 MHz burglar alarm systems that use static codes in their RF remote controls. Attackers can capture and replay these codes to remotely arm, disarm, or trigger alarms without authorization. This impacts all users of affected alarm systems regardless of configuration.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Chuango 433 MHz burglar-alarm product line
Eminent EM8617 OV2 Wifi Alarm System
Other non-Chuango branded products using same RF protocol

Versions: All versions using vulnerable RF protocol

Operating Systems: Embedded firmware

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Vulnerability is in the RF communication protocol design, not specific software versions. All devices using this static code implementation are affected.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers could disarm security systems during break-ins, trigger false alarms causing panic or desensitization, or prevent legitimate alarm activation during actual emergencies.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized disarm/arm of alarm systems, false alarm triggering, and potential burglary facilitation through security system bypass.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper physical security controls and monitoring, impact is limited to nuisance alarms and minor security breaches.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Attack requires RF signal capture equipment (SDR or similar) but is straightforward once codes are captured. No authentication or network access needed.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: N/A

Vendor Advisory: N/A

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

No official patch available. Hardware/firmware redesign required to implement rolling codes or encryption.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Physical Security Enhancement

all

Implement additional physical security layers to compensate for RF vulnerability

RF Signal Monitoring

all

Deploy RF monitoring to detect replay attacks

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Replace affected alarm systems with models using rolling codes or encrypted RF communication
Implement secondary security systems (cameras, motion sensors) that don't rely on vulnerable RF controls

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if alarm system uses 433 MHz RF remote with static codes. Test by capturing and replaying RF signals with SDR equipment.

Check Version:

N/A - hardware/firmware issue, not version dependent

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify new system uses rolling codes or encryption by testing RF signal replay resistance.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Multiple rapid arm/disarm events
Alarm triggers without corresponding sensor activation
Unusual timing of control commands

Network Indicators:

N/A - RF based attack, not network dependent

SIEM Query:

N/A - RF based attack outside typical SIEM monitoring scope

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2019-9659

CVSS v3 Score: 9.1 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-294

Published: March 11, 2019

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://github.com/RiieCco/write-ups/tree/master/CVE-2019-9659 Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/RiieCco/write-ups/tree/master/CVE-2019-9659 Third Party Advisory

📤 Share & Export

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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