CVE-2021-40597 – This vulnerability allows attackers to gain adm... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2021-40597?

CVE-2021-40597 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability allows attackers to gain administrative access to EDIMAX IC-3140W IP cameras using hardcoded credentials. Anyone using the affected firmware version is vulnerable to complete device takeover. The hardcoded credentials cannot be changed by users.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows attackers to gain administrative access to EDIMAX IC-3140W IP cameras using hardcoded credentials. Anyone using the affected firmware version is vulnerable to complete device takeover. The hardcoded credentials cannot be changed by users.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

EDIMAX IC-3140W IP Camera

Versions: Version 3.11

Operating Systems: Embedded firmware

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All devices running firmware version 3.11 are vulnerable regardless of configuration.

📦 What is this software?

Ic 3140w Firmware by Edimax

View all CVEs affecting Ic 3140w Firmware →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete device compromise allowing camera feed interception, device reconfiguration, firmware modification, and use as pivot point into internal networks.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized access to camera feeds, device settings modification, and potential use in botnets or surveillance operations.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if device is isolated in separate VLAN with strict network controls and no internet exposure.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Direct internet exposure allows remote attackers to easily exploit this vulnerability from anywhere.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Even internally, any user on the network can exploit this vulnerability to gain administrative access.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires only knowledge of the hardcoded credentials and network access to the device.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Unknown

Vendor Advisory: https://www.edimax.com/edimax/download/download/data/edimax/global/download/

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

Check vendor website for firmware updates. If available, download and apply firmware update following vendor instructions.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Segmentation

all

Isolate camera on separate VLAN with strict firewall rules preventing external and internal access except from authorized management systems.

Access Control Lists

all

Implement network ACLs to restrict access to camera management interface to specific IP addresses only.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Remove device from internet exposure immediately
Implement strict network segmentation and monitor for unauthorized access attempts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Attempt to authenticate to the camera web interface using the known hardcoded credentials. If successful, device is vulnerable.

Check Version:

Check firmware version in device web interface under System Information or similar menu.

Verify Fix Applied:

After firmware update, attempt authentication with hardcoded credentials should fail. Verify new firmware version is installed.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful login
Login from unexpected IP addresses
Configuration changes from unauthorized users

Network Indicators:

HTTP/HTTPS traffic to camera management interface from unexpected sources
Unusual outbound connections from camera

SIEM Query:

source_ip=* AND dest_ip=camera_ip AND (http_method=POST AND uri CONTAINS 'login') AND http_status=200

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2021-40597

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-798

Published: June 29, 2022

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DZCzVULjchY0rSJBXIPr0gJM1qWCcAZ5/view?usp=sharing Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZPFwAoO8tAD0zrWwVZ9W6-CUCrcM0Exm/view?usp=sharing Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://www.edimax.com/edimax/download/download/data/edimax/global/download/ Product,Vendor Advisory
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DZCzVULjchY0rSJBXIPr0gJM1qWCcAZ5/view?usp=sharing Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZPFwAoO8tAD0zrWwVZ9W6-CUCrcM0Exm/view?usp=sharing Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://www.edimax.com/edimax/download/download/data/edimax/global/download/ Product,Vendor Advisory

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2021-40597, you might also want to check these: