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Cisco Security Advisory: Default Password in Wireless
Location Appliance
Advisory ID: cisco-sa-20061012-wla
Revision 1.0
For Public Release 2006 October 12 1600 UTC (GMT)
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Summary
=======
The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance software contains a
default
password for the 'root' administrative account. A user who
logs in
using this username has complete control of the device.
This password is the same in all installations of the
product prior to
version 2.1.34.0 when shipped as part of a new product
purchase. This
vulnerability still exists on upgraded installations unless
explicit
steps have been taken to change the password after the
initial
installation of the product.
There are workarounds available for this vulnerability.
This advisory is available at
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-2
0061012-wla.shtml.
Affected Products
=================
Cisco 2700 Series Wireless Location Appliances shipped with
versions
prior to 2.1.34.0
The version of software on the Wireless Location Appliance
can be
determined in one of three ways.
- From the command line the version can be determined with
the
"getserverinfo" command. The version is contained
in the first five lines
of output which will look similar to the following output
from a device
running version 1.1.73.0:
-------------
Server Config
-------------
Product name: Cisco Wireless Location Appliance
Version: 1.1.73.0
Another way to get the version from the command line is to
view the
file /opt/locserver/conf/version.txt. For a WLA running
version
2.0.42.0, the contents of that file should be similar to:
[root locserv /]# cat /opt/locserver/conf/version.txt
#Tue Jan 31 11:08:35 PST 2006
build.number=42
minor.number=0
patch.number=0
major.number=2
branch.name=HOT
product.name=Cisco Wireless Location Appliance
The version is simply obtained by assembling the numbers
beginning with
the "major.number" followed by
"minor.number", "build.number" and
"patch.number" in that order with each number
separated by a period.
Lastly, the version may be obtained via the web interface on
a Cisco
Wireless Control System (WCS) for any Location Appliances
which are
configured on it. Browsing to the "Locations" tab
and clicking on
"Location Servers" in the resulting menu will give
a list of Location
Appliances with their corresponding versions under the
"Versions"
column.
No other products are known to be vulnerable.
Details
=======
The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance (WLA) uses RF
fingerprinting
technology to simultaneously track 802.11 wireless devices
from
directly within a WLAN infrastructure. By design, the Cisco
Wireless
Location Appliance is directly integrated into the WLAN
infrastructure
using Cisco wireless LAN controllers and Cisco Aironet
lightweight
access points to track the physical location of wireless
devices.
The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance can be managed via a
virtual
terminal (standard keyboard and monitor attached directly to
the
appliance), a local serial console, remote SSH connections,
and/or
remote secure web sessions. A special administrative account
is
provided so that certain management, troubleshooting tasks,
and basic
initial setup can be performed.
The default username for administrator login is
"root" (without the
quotes), and the default password is "password"
(without the quotes).
Both the username and password are case sensitive.
This issue has been addressed in fixed versions of software
by
prompting the user to change the password on the root
account during
the appliance setup installation. This only applies to new
WLA devices
shipped initially with a non-vulnerable version of software
for the
initial installation. Previous versions of software which
have been
upgraded will not prompt the user to change the password for
the root
user during the upgrade.
This issue is documented in Cisco Bug ID CSCsb92893.
Impact
======
Successful exploitation of the vulnerability may result in a
remote
attacker gaining full administrative control of the device.
Software Version and Fixes
==========================
This vulnerability is fixed in versions 2.1.34.0 and later
when shipped
on new devices for initial installation of the Cisco
Wireless Location
Appliance software.
When considering software upgrades, also consult
http://www.cisco.com/go
/psirt and any subsequent advisories to
determine exposure and a complete upgrade solution.
In all cases, customers should exercise caution to be
certain the
devices to be upgraded contain sufficient memory and that
current
hardware and software configurations will continue to be
supported
properly by the new release. If the information is not
clear, contact
the Cisco Technical Assistance Center ("TAC") or
your contracted
maintenance provider for assistance.
Workarounds
===========
The vulnerability described in this document can be
eliminated by
logging in to the affected WLA and changing the default
password for
the administrative root account to a strong password chosen
by the
user.
If the password has not previously been changed, the default
username
for the administrator login is "root" (without the
quotes), and the
default password is "password" (without the
quotes). Both the username
and password are case sensitive. After successfully logging
in to the
WLA as root, the default password may be changed by running
the "passwd"
command.
A reboot is not required for the new password to take
effect, so
network operations will not be disrupted.
Obtaining Fixed Software
========================
Cisco will make free software available to address this
vulnerability
for affected customers. This advisory will be updated as
fixed software
becomes available. Prior to deploying software, customers
should
consult their maintenance provider or check the software for
feature
set compatibility and known issues specific to their
environment.
Customers may only install and expect support for the
feature sets they
have purchased. By installing, downloading, accessing or
otherwise
using such software upgrades, customers agree to be bound by
the terms
of Cisco's software license terms found at
http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-license-agreement.html,
or as otherwise
set forth at Cisco.com Downloads at
http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-usingswc.shtml.
Do not contact either "psirtcisco.com" or
"security-alertcisco.com"
for software upgrades.
Customers with Service Contracts
+-------------------------------
Customers with contracts should obtain upgraded software
through their
regular update channels. For most customers, this means that
upgrades
should be obtained through the Software Center on Cisco's
worldwide
website at http://www.cisco.com.
Customers using Third Party Support Organizations
+------------------------------------------------
Customers whose Cisco products are provided or maintained
through prior
or existing agreement with third-party support organizations
such as
Cisco Partners, authorized resellers, or service providers
should
contact that support organization for guidance and
assistance with the
appropriate course of action in regards to this advisory.
The effectiveness of any workaround or fix is dependent on
specific
customer situations such as product mix, network topology,
traffic
behavior, and organizational mission. Due to the variety of
affected
products and releases, customers should consult with their
service
provider or support organization to ensure any applied
workaround or
fix is the most appropriate for use in the intended network
before it
is deployed.
Customers without Service Contracts
+----------------------------------
Customers who purchase direct from Cisco but who do not hold
a Cisco
service contract and customers who purchase through
third-party vendors
but are unsuccessful at obtaining fixed software through
their point of
sale should get their upgrades by contacting the Cisco
Technical
Assistance Center (TAC). TAC contacts are as follows.
* +1 800 553 2447 (toll free from within North America)
* +1 408 526 7209 (toll call from anywhere in the world)
* e-mail: taccisco.com
Have your product serial number available and give the URL
of this
notice as evidence of your entitlement to a free upgrade.
Free upgrades
for non-contract customers must be requested through the
TAC.
Refer to http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC
.shtml
for additional TAC contact information, including special
localized
telephone numbers and instructions and e-mail addresses for
use in
various languages.
Exploitation and Public Announcements
=====================================
The Cisco PSIRT is aware of several instances in which Cisco
Wireless
Location Appliances have been compromised via the default
root
password.
Status of this Notice: FINAL
============================
THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND
DOES NOT IMPLY ANY
KIND OF GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE. YOUR USE OF
THE
INFORMATION ON THE DOCUMENT OR MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE
DOCUMENT IS AT
YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE
THIS
DOCUMENT AT ANY TIME.
A stand-alone copy or Paraphrase of the text of this
document that
omits the distribution URL in the following section is an
uncontrolled
copy, and may lack important information or contain factual
errors.
Distribution
============
This advisory is posted on Cisco's worldwide website at :
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20
061012-wla.shtml
In addition to worldwide web posting, a text version of this
notice is
clear-signed with the Cisco PSIRT PGP key and is posted to
the
following e-mail and Usenet news recipients.
* cust-security-announcecisco.com
* first-teamsfirst.org
* bugtraqsecurityfocus.com
* vulnwatchvulnwatch.org
* ciscospot.colorado.edu
* cisco-nsppuck.nether.net
* full-disclosurelists.grok.org.uk
* comp.dcom.sys.cisconewsgate.cisco.com
Future updates of this advisory, if any, will be placed on
Cisco's
worldwide website, but may or may not be actively announced
on mailing
lists or newsgroups. Users concerned about this problem are
encouraged
to check the above URL for any updates.
Revision History
================
+----------------------------------------+
| Revision | | Initial |
| 1.0 | 2006-October-12 | public |
| | | release. |
+----------------------------------------+
Cisco Security Procedures
=========================
Complete information on reporting security vulnerabilities
in Cisco
products, obtaining assistance with security incidents, and
registering
to receive security information from Cisco, is available on
Cisco's
worldwide website at
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/produ
cts/products_security_vulnerability_policy.html.
This includes instructions for press inquiries regarding
Cisco security
notices. All Cisco security advisories are available at
http://www.cisco.com/g
o/psirt.
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All contents are Copyright 1992-2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All
rights
reserved.
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Updated: Oct 12, 2006
Document ID: 71780
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