CVE-2024-0778: Uniview ISC 2500-S Firmware RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-0778 Overview

A critical OS command injection vulnerability has been discovered in the Uniview ISC 2500-S integrated security controller firmware (versions up to 20210930). The vulnerability exists in the setNatConfig function within the /Interface/DevManage/VM.php file, where improper handling of the natAddress, natPort, and natServerPort parameters allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected device with no user interaction required, potentially leading to complete system compromise of the security controller.

Affected Products

• Uniview ISC 2500-S Firmware (versions up to 20210930)
• Uniview ISC 2500-S Hardware Device

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-01-22 - CVE-2024-0778 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Important Notice: The vendor (Uniview) has confirmed that this product is end-of-life and no longer supported. The device should be retired and replaced immediately.

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0778

Vulnerability Analysis

This OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) affects the NAT configuration functionality of the Uniview ISC 2500-S integrated security controller. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system through the web management interface without requiring authentication.

The flaw occurs because the setNatConfig function in /Interface/DevManage/VM.php fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before passing it to system shell commands. The three vulnerable parameters—natAddress, natPort, and natServerPort—can be manipulated to inject shell metacharacters and arbitrary commands that will be executed with the privileges of the web server process.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain complete control over the security controller, potentially compromising the entire surveillance infrastructure, accessing video feeds, modifying configurations, or using the device as a pivot point for further network attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and sanitization in the setNatConfig function. User-controlled parameters intended for NAT configuration are concatenated directly into shell commands without proper escaping or validation, allowing command injection through shell metacharacters such as semicolons, backticks, or pipe characters.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network against the device's web management interface. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing OS commands within the natAddress, natPort, or natServerPort parameters. When the setNatConfig function processes these parameters, the injected commands are executed on the underlying operating system.

The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, making it trivially exploitable by any attacker with network access to the management interface. Since the exploit has been publicly disclosed, organizations with exposed Uniview ISC 2500-S devices are at immediate risk.

For technical details regarding exploitation methodology, refer to the GitHub RCE Documentation and the VulDB Entry #251696.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0778

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP POST requests to /Interface/DevManage/VM.php containing shell metacharacters (;, |, `, $()) in NAT configuration parameters
• Unexpected outbound network connections from the ISC 2500-S device
• Anomalous processes spawned by the web server process on the device
• Modifications to system files or configurations on the device

Detection Strategies

• Deploy network intrusion detection rules to monitor for command injection patterns in requests targeting Uniview device endpoints
• Monitor web server access logs for suspicious requests to /Interface/DevManage/VM.php with abnormal parameter values
• Implement behavioral analysis to detect unusual process execution or network activity from security controller devices
• Conduct regular vulnerability scans to identify exposed Uniview ISC 2500-S devices on the network

Monitoring Recommendations

• Isolate all Uniview ISC 2500-S devices on a dedicated network segment with strict firewall rules
• Enable detailed logging on network firewalls and intrusion prevention systems monitoring traffic to these devices
• Set up alerts for any external access attempts to the device management interface
• Regularly audit device configurations and check for signs of unauthorized access or modification

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0778

Immediate Actions Required

• Disconnect Uniview ISC 2500-S devices from the network immediately if they are exposed to untrusted networks
• Implement strict network segmentation to limit access to the device management interface to authorized administrative systems only
• Plan immediate replacement of the end-of-life Uniview ISC 2500-S with a supported security controller solution
• Conduct a security assessment to determine if any devices have already been compromised

Patch Information

No patch is available. The vendor (Uniview) has confirmed that the ISC 2500-S product is end-of-life and no longer receiving security updates. Organizations must retire and replace these devices with currently supported alternatives.

Workarounds

• Block all network access to the device's web management interface (port 80/443) from untrusted networks using firewall rules
• Place devices behind a VPN or jump host that requires strong authentication before allowing access
• If the device must remain operational temporarily, disable remote management features if possible and restrict access to local console only
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block requests containing command injection patterns targeting the affected endpoint

# Example iptables rule to restrict access to device management interface
# Allow management access only from trusted admin subnet
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 192.168.100.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 192.168.100.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP