Four-Faith Routers Under Attack: Critical Vulnerability Exploited in the Wild

2024-12-30

Four-Faith industrial routers, specifically models F3x24 and F3x36, are facing a critical security threat. A recently discovered vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-12856, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the router’s operating system.

This vulnerability resides within the

Attackers exploit this flaw by crafting specially formatted HTTP POST requests containing malicious commands within the `adj_time_year` field. This allows them to gain unauthorized access to the router’s operating system, potentially compromising sensitive data, disrupting critical operations, and even pivoting to other systems within the target network.

Recent research has observed exploitation attempts originating from IP address 178.215.238.91. These attacks align with previously documented exploitation activity, including a matching User-Agent and a distinct payload.

A Suricata rule can be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts of CVE-2024-12856. This rule identifies malicious HTTP POST requests to the `/apply.cgi` endpoint with specific headers and a request body containing “change_action=adjust_sys_time” and a pattern matching the expected format of the exploit payload.

VulnCheck has notified both Four-Faith and its customers about this actively exploited vulnerability. Inquiries regarding patches, impacted models, and affected firmware versions should be directed to Four-Faith.

What Undercode Says:

This vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations utilizing Four-Faith F3x24 and F3x36 routers. The ability of remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on these devices grants them extensive control, potentially enabling data breaches, network disruptions, and further compromises within the target environment.

The exploitation of this vulnerability highlights the critical importance of:

Regular Security Audits: Proactive security assessments can identify and mitigate vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
Strong Authentication and Authorization: Implementing robust authentication mechanisms, such as strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, can significantly hinder unauthorized access.
Regular Firmware Updates: Ensuring that all devices are running the latest firmware versions with the necessary security patches is crucial to mitigating known vulnerabilities.
Network Segmentation: Isolating critical systems and devices on separate network segments can limit the impact of a successful attack.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS): Deploying and effectively configuring IDPS solutions can help detect and prevent malicious activity, including attempts to exploit this vulnerability.

This incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by cyberattacks targeting industrial control systems (ICS). Organizations must prioritize cybersecurity measures to protect their critical infrastructure from these threats.

Disclaimer: This analysis is based on the provided information and may not encompass all potential risks or implications associated with this vulnerability.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.