CVE-2026-29120: IDC SFX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

CVE-2026-29120 Overview

A critical hardcoded credentials vulnerability exists in the International Datacasting Corporation (IDC) SFX Series (SFX2100) SuperFlex Satellite Receiver. The /root/anaconda-ks.cfg installation configuration file insecurely stores a hardcoded root password hash that is highly susceptible to offline dictionary attacks using common wordlists such as rockyou.txt. While direct root SSH login is disabled, an attacker who first obtains low-privileged access to the system can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges to root.

Critical Impact

This hardcoded credentials vulnerability enables local privilege escalation to root on affected IDC SFX2100 satellite receivers, potentially allowing complete system compromise of critical broadcast infrastructure.

Affected Products

• International Datacasting Corporation (IDC) SFX Series (SFX2100) SuperFlex Satellite Receiver

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-04 - CVE CVE-2026-29120 published to NVD
• 2026-03-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-29120

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), representing a significant security design flaw in the IDC SFX2100 satellite receiver. The installation configuration file located at /root/anaconda-ks.cfg contains a hardcoded password hash for the root user account. The password protecting this hash is extremely weak and can be cracked using publicly available dictionary attacks with wordlists like rockyou.txt.

The exploitation requires local access to the device, meaning an attacker must first establish a foothold on the system through another vulnerability or unauthorized access method. Once low-privileged access is obtained, the attacker can read the configuration file, extract the password hash, and perform offline cracking to recover the plaintext root password. With the root credentials in hand, the attacker can then escalate privileges to gain full administrative control over the satellite receiver.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the use of hardcoded credentials within the installation configuration file. During the device provisioning process, a static root password hash is embedded into /root/anaconda-ks.cfg. This password was chosen without sufficient complexity requirements, making it vulnerable to dictionary-based offline attacks. The hardcoded nature of the credentials means the password cannot be easily changed by administrators and remains consistent across all deployed units of the same firmware version.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring an attacker to first gain low-privileged access to the SFX2100 device. This initial access could be obtained through exploitation of other vulnerabilities, compromised user credentials, or physical access to the device. Once on the system, the attacker reads the /root/anaconda-ks.cfg file to extract the root password hash. Using offline password cracking tools such as John the Ripper or Hashcat with the rockyou.txt wordlist, the attacker can quickly recover the plaintext password. The recovered credentials are then used to authenticate as root and gain full system control.

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, see the security researcher's vulnerability report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-29120

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected access to the /root/anaconda-ks.cfg configuration file by non-root users
• Successful privilege escalation events from low-privileged accounts to root
• Authentication logs showing root login attempts following initial low-privileged access
• Evidence of password cracking tools or wordlists on the system

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file access logs for any reads of /root/anaconda-ks.cfg by unauthorized users
• Implement host-based intrusion detection to alert on privilege escalation attempts
• Review authentication logs for patterns indicating credential abuse following initial compromise
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify post-exploitation activity

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive audit logging on the SFX2100 device for user authentication and file access events
• Configure centralized log collection to aggregate security events from all satellite receiver devices
• Establish baseline behavior patterns to identify anomalous root account usage
• Implement real-time alerting for any detected privilege escalation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-29120

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network and physical access to affected SFX2100 devices to authorized personnel only
• Segment satellite receiver devices from general network access using firewalls and VLANs
• Implement strong access controls to limit which users can authenticate to the devices
• Monitor for any signs of compromise and investigate anomalous activity immediately

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Organizations should contact International Datacasting Corporation directly for guidance on firmware updates or remediation steps. Refer to the external vulnerability report for additional technical details.

Workarounds

• Implement network segmentation to isolate SFX2100 devices from untrusted networks
• Restrict file permissions on /root/anaconda-ks.cfg to prevent unauthorized access where possible
• Deploy additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication for device access
• Consider implementing compensating controls through network-based access restrictions and monitoring

# Network segmentation example - restrict access to satellite receiver management interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j DROP