CVE-2020-8000: Intelliantech Aptus Web Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2020-8000 Overview

CVE-2020-8000 is a critical hardcoded credentials vulnerability affecting Intellian Aptus Web version 1.24. The application contains a hardcoded password of 12345678 for the intellian account, allowing remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to the system without any prior authentication or user interaction.

Critical Impact
Attackers can leverage the hardcoded credentials to gain complete unauthorized access to Intellian Aptus Web systems, potentially compromising satellite communication management interfaces and enabling full system control.

Affected Products

Intelliantech Aptus Web version 1.24

Discovery Timeline

2020-01-27 - CVE-2020-8000 published to NVD
2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-8000

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), a common but severe security flaw where authentication credentials are embedded directly into the application's source code or configuration. In the case of Intellian Aptus Web 1.24, the intellian account uses a static password of 12345678 that cannot be changed by administrators and is consistent across all deployments of the affected software.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any attacker who can reach the Aptus Web interface can authenticate using these well-known credentials. This completely bypasses the authentication mechanism, rendering it ineffective as a security control.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the use of hardcoded credentials embedded within the Intellian Aptus Web application. During development, static credentials were likely implemented for testing or default access purposes but were never removed or made configurable before production deployment. This practice violates secure coding principles and creates a universal backdoor that affects every installation of the vulnerable software version.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges, user interaction, or complex conditions to exploit. An attacker simply needs network access to the Intellian Aptus Web interface to authenticate using the hardcoded credentials (intellian:12345678). Once authenticated, the attacker gains full access to the application's functionality, which may include satellite communication system management capabilities.

The exploitation process involves:

Identifying an exposed Intellian Aptus Web 1.24 instance
Navigating to the login interface
Authenticating with username intellian and password 12345678
Gaining administrative access to the system

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-8000

Indicators of Compromise

Successful login attempts to Intellian Aptus Web using the intellian account from unexpected IP addresses
Multiple authentication events from the intellian account across geographically dispersed locations
Configuration changes or administrative actions performed by the intellian account without authorized administrator knowledge
Unusual access patterns to satellite communication management interfaces

Detection Strategies

Monitor authentication logs for login attempts using the intellian username
Implement network intrusion detection rules to flag access attempts to Aptus Web interfaces
Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) to detect and alert on repeated authentication attempts
Conduct regular vulnerability scans to identify exposed Intellian Aptus Web instances

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable comprehensive logging on all Intellian Aptus Web installations
Configure SIEM alerts for any authentication activity involving the intellian account
Implement network segmentation to restrict access to satellite communication management interfaces
Perform regular audits of accounts with administrative privileges

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-8000

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all Intellian Aptus Web 1.24 installations within your environment
Restrict network access to Aptus Web interfaces using firewall rules and network segmentation
Place affected systems behind VPN or other secure access mechanisms
Monitor for any unauthorized access attempts using the hardcoded credentials
Contact Intellian for updated firmware or software that addresses this vulnerability

Patch Information

No vendor advisory URL is currently available in the CVE data. Organizations should contact Intellian directly for information about patched versions or security updates that address the hardcoded credentials vulnerability. For additional technical analysis, refer to the Sku11army Blog Vulnerability Analysis.

Workarounds

Implement strict network access controls to limit exposure of the Aptus Web interface to trusted networks only
Deploy a reverse proxy with additional authentication layers in front of the Aptus Web interface
Use intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to block authentication attempts using known hardcoded credentials
Consider taking vulnerable systems offline until a patch is available if they contain sensitive satellite communication configurations
Implement network monitoring to detect and alert on any exploitation attempts

bash

# Example firewall rule to restrict access to Aptus Web interface
# Allow only trusted management network
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP