CVE-2023-53964
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to send a POST request to the /usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi endpoint to trigger a factory reset on SOUND4 IMPACT/FIRST/PULSE/Eco devices. This bypasses authentication and gives attackers full system control. Organizations using these devices in v2.x versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- SOUND4 IMPACT
- SOUND4 FIRST
- SOUND4 PULSE
- SOUND4 Eco
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain complete control of the device, resetting all configurations, potentially disabling security controls, and establishing persistence for further attacks on the network.
Likely Case
Devices are reset to factory defaults, causing service disruption, loss of configuration, and requiring manual reconfiguration while systems remain vulnerable.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and access controls, the attack surface is limited, preventing external exploitation while maintaining internal monitoring.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit code is publicly available on Exploit-DB and other sources, requiring only a simple HTTP POST request.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://web.archive.org/web/20221207074555/https://www.sound4.com/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
Check vendor website for firmware updates. If unavailable, implement workarounds immediately.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Control
linuxBlock external access to the vulnerable endpoint using firewall rules.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m string --string 'POST /usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi' --algo bm -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -m string --string 'POST /usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi' --algo bm -j DROP
Endpoint Removal/Disable
linuxRemove or disable the restorefactory.cgi endpoint if possible.
rm /usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi
chmod 000 /usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment affected devices in isolated network zones with strict firewall rules.
- Monitor network traffic for POST requests to the vulnerable endpoint and alert on detection.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Send a POST request to http://<device_ip>/usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi with appropriate data (see exploit references) and check if device resets.Check Version:
Check device web interface or use vendor-specific CLI commands to identify firmware version.Verify Fix Applied:
Attempt the same POST request after applying workarounds; it should be blocked or fail.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to /usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi in web server logs
- Unexpected device reboots or configuration resets in system logs
Network Indicators:
- POST requests to port 80/443 with path /usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi
- Sudden changes in device network behavior post-reset
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND url="/usr/cgi-bin/restorefactory.cgi" AND method="POST"🔗 References
- https://web.archive.org/web/20221207074555/https://www.sound4.com/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51174
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/sound-impactfirstpulseeco-x-unauthenticated-factory-reset-vulnerability
- https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2022-5742.php
- https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2022-5742.php
