Hikvision IP Cameras and PTZ Cameras Improper Authentication Vulnerability (CVE-2017-7921) Technical Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTHikvision DS-2CD2xx2F-I, DS-2CD2xx0F-I, DS-2CD2xx2FWD, DS-2CD4x2xFWD, DS-2CD4xx5, DS-2DFx, and DS-2CD63xx series IP camera devices
Unauthenticated remote attackers can bypass authentication mechanisms via crafted HTTP requests to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system configuration and credentials
Immediately upgrade device firmware to the latest patched version and restrict access to the camera management interface from the public internet
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Download the appropriate patched firmware version for your specific camera model from the official Hikvision portal. You can perform the firmware upgrade via TFTP using the following commands:
# 1. Set up a local TFTP server and place the patched firmware file (digicap.dav) in the root directory.
# 2. Connect to the camera via SSH and download the firmware file.
tftp -g -r digicap.dav 192.168.1.100
# 3. Reboot the device to apply the firmware update.
reboot2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, isolate the camera from the public internet. Use firewall rules to restrict access to the web management ports (default 80, 443) and RTSP port (default 554). Below is an example of iptables rules to restrict access to a trusted management subnet:
# Drop all incoming traffic to web ports by default
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
# Allow access only from the trusted administrator subnet (e.g., 10.10.10.0/24)
iptables -I INPUT -s 10.10.10.0/24 -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
iptables -I INPUT -s 10.10.10.0/24 -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
To detect potential exploitation attempts, inspect your web server access logs for unauthorized requests targeting the configuration export endpoint:
# Scan web server access logs for configuration file download attempts
grep -i 'System/configurationFile' /var/log/nginx/access.log /var/log/apache2/access.log 2>/dev/null
# Search for specific base64-encoded bypass parameters in the logs
egrep -i 'auth=Y29udHJvbGxlcg' /var/log/nginx/access.log 2>/dev/nullBlock Exploits Instantly with Managed Virtual Patching Rules
Can't patch production immediately? Deploy managed WAF rules at the edge to intercept RCE, SQLi, and deserialization payloads before they hit your origin server.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2017-7921) is an Improper Authentication issue (CWE-287) residing in the firmware of various Hikvision IP and PTZ cameras. The root cause is the application's failure to adequately or correctly validate user identity and session state before granting access to administrative endpoints. This flaw allows remote attackers to bypass authentication controls entirely, leading to privilege escalation and unauthorized access to sensitive system data.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker exploits this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted HTTP GET request to specific administrative endpoints, such as '/System/configurationFile?auth=Y29udHJvbGxlcg==', without providing valid credentials. Because the device fails to enforce proper access control checks on these endpoints, it responds by exporting the device's configuration file. The attacker can then decrypt or parse this configuration file to extract user credentials and password hashes, allowing them to log in with full administrative privileges or hijack the camera's live video feed.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
With a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8 (Critical) and its inclusion in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, this vulnerability poses an active and severe threat. Successful exploitation compromises physical security and privacy by exposing live surveillance feeds. Furthermore, compromised cameras can be leveraged as pivot points to gain unauthorized access to internal OT/ICS networks or be recruited into IoT botnets to launch large-scale Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
An Improper Authentication issue was discovered in Hikvision DS-2CD2xx2F-I Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 build 160530, DS-2CD2xx0F-I Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160401, DS-2CD2xx2FWD Series V5.3.1 build 150410 to V5.4.4 Build 161125, DS-2CD4x2xFWD Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160414, DS-2CD4xx5 Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160421, DS-2DFx Series V5.2.0 build 140805 to V5.4.5 Build 160928, and DS-2CD63xx Series V5.0.9 build 140305 to V5.3.5 Build 160106 devices. The improper authentication vulnerability occurs when an application does not adequately or correctly authenticate users. This may allow a malicious user to escalate his or her privileges on the system and gain access to sensitive information.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2017-7921)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2017-7921 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2017-7921 is rated CVSS 9.8 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 100.0%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2017-7921?
Primary impacted vendors include hikvision across ip_camera, dome_camera, ptz_camera. Scope summary: Hikvision IP and PTZ cameras running the following firmware versions: - DS-2CD2xx2F-I: V5.2.0 Build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160530 - DS-2CD2xx0F-I: V5.2.0 Build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160401 - DS-2CD2xx2FWD: V5.3.1 Build 150410 to V5.4.4 Build 161125 - DS-2CD4x2xFWD: V5.2.0 Build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160414 - DS-2CD4xx5: V5.2.0 Build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160421 - DS-2DFx: V5.2.0 Build 140805 to V5.4.5 Build 160928 - DS-2CD63xx: V5.0.9 Build 140305 to V5.3.5 Build 160106
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2017-7921 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately upgrade device firmware to the latest patched version and restrict access to the camera management interface from the public internet Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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