Security researchers have uncovered a flaw in temporary Wi-Fi connections - such as those in hotels or conference systems - that could allow hackers to tamper with the network and gain access to systems using it.
The CVE-2015-0932 vulnerability was found in 277 hotel, conference centre and data centre Wi-Fi networks that use ANTLabs InnGate devices, allowing hackers to carry out attacks similar to the DarkHotel incidents at the end of last year.
Using an unauthenticated rsync daemon running on TCP 873, the hacker can gain read and write priveleges in any Linux-based operating system, experts at Cylance said, folllowing the study.
Brian Wallace, senior researcher and software engineer at Cylane, said in a blog post: "When an attacker gains full read and write access to a Linux file system, it's trivial to then turn that into remote code execution.
"The attacker could upload a backdoored version of nearly any executable on the system and then gain execution control, or simply add an additional user with root level access and a password known to the attacker. Once full file system access is obtained, the endpoint is at the mercy of the attacker."
He suggested they could install malware on a target's computer, siphon off personal details about the user, or gain access to the hotel chain's property management system (PMS), including payment details of visitors.
Justin W. Clarke, senior security researcher on the Cylance Spear (Sophisticated Penetration Exploitation and Research) team said: "Given that the ANTlabs' product integrates with external systems, such as a hotel's PMS, this vulnerability could be leveraged to gain deeper access into a hotel's business network.
"This is similar to the Target breach where attackers were able to penetrate the organisation's internal network through a vulnerability in the heating and cooling system."
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolenNews Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
Lateral moves in tech: Why leaders should support employee mobilityIn-depth Encouraging staff to switch roles can have long-term benefits for skills in the tech sector
-
Hackers are targeting Ivanti VPN users again – here’s what you need to knowNews Ivanti has re-patched a security flaw in its Connect Secure VPN appliances that's been exploited by a China-linked espionage group since at least the middle of March.
-
Broadcom issues urgent alert over three VMware zero-daysNews The firm says it has information to suggest all three are being exploited in the wild
-
Nakivo backup flaw still present on some systems months after firms’ ‘silent patch’, researchers claimNews Over 200 vulnerable Nakivo backup instances have been identified months after the firm silently patched a security flaw.
-
Everything you need to know about the Microsoft Power Pages vulnerabilityNews A severe Microsoft Power Pages vulnerability has been fixed after cyber criminals were found to have been exploiting unpatched systems in the wild.
-
Vulnerability management complexity is leaving enterprises at serious riskNews Fragmented data and siloed processes mean remediation is taking too long
-
A critical Ivanti flaw is being exploited in the wild – here’s what you need to knowNews Cyber criminals are actively exploiting a critical RCE flaw affecting Ivanti Connect Secure appliances
-
Researchers claim an AMD security flaw could let hackers access encrypted dataNews Using only a $10 test rig, researchers were able to pull off the badRAM attack
-
A journey to cyber resiliencewhitepaper DORA: Ushering in a new era of cyber security
