CVE-2023-46992 – CVE-2023-46992 is an authentication bypass vuln... (How to Fix)

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2023-46992 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in TOTOLINK A3300R routers that allows unauthenticated attackers to reset critical passwords by accessing specific web pages. This affects users of TOTOLINK A3300R routers with vulnerable firmware versions, potentially allowing complete device compromise.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

TOTOLINK A3300R

Versions: V17.0.0cu.557_B20221024

Operating Systems: Embedded router firmware

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects web management interface; requires network access to router's web interface.

📦 What is this software?

A3300r Firmware by Totolink

View all CVEs affecting A3300r Firmware →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete router takeover enabling traffic interception, network pivoting, credential theft, and persistent backdoor installation.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized administrative access leading to network configuration changes, DNS hijacking, and device misuse.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if device is behind firewall with restricted web interface access and strong perimeter controls.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Directly accessible web interfaces can be exploited remotely without authentication.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers or malware could exploit this to gain router control.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Simple HTTP requests to specific URLs can trigger password resets; exploit details are publicly documented.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Unknown

Vendor Advisory: Not available

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Check TOTOLINK website for firmware updates
2. Download latest firmware for A3300R
3. Access router web interface
4. Navigate to System Tools > Firmware Upgrade
5. Upload and apply new firmware
6. Verify version after reboot

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Web Interface External Access

linux

Restrict router web interface to internal network only

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s ! 192.168.1.0/24 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s ! 192.168.1.0/24 -j DROP

Change Default Admin Port

all

Modify router web interface to use non-standard port

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate router behind firewall with strict inbound rules blocking web interface ports
Implement network segmentation to limit router access to trusted management hosts only

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Attempt to access password reset pages without authentication: http://[router-ip]/cgi-bin/luci/;stok=/locale?form=country, http://[router-ip]/cgi-bin/luci/;stok=/admin/systemAdmin?form=chgpwd

Check Version:

Check router web interface at System Status > Device Info or via SSH: cat /proc/version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify same URLs now require authentication or return 403/404 errors

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unauthenticated POST requests to password reset endpoints
Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful password change
Unusual admin password reset events

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests to /cgi-bin/luci/ paths without authentication
Unusual traffic patterns to router management interface

SIEM Query:

source="router.log" AND (url="*/locale?form=country" OR url="*/systemAdmin?form=chgpwd") AND status="200" AND auth="none"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-46992

CVSS v3 Score: 7.5 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-863

Published: October 31, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://github.com/AuroraHaaash/vul_report/blob/main/TOTOLINK%20A3300R/readme.md Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/AuroraHaaash/vul_report/blob/main/TOTOLINK%20A3300R/readme.md Exploit,Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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