EyesOfNetwork 5.3 Hardcoded API Key Vulnerability (CVE-2020-8657) Technical Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTEyesOfNetwork version 5.3 and prior
The default installation uses a hardcoded API key ('EONAPI_KEY'), allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to calculate and generate admin access tokens to compromise the system
Immediately replace the hardcoded API key with a unique cryptographically secure string and upgrade to the patched version
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Apply the official security updates provided by the EyesOfNetwork community to resolve the hardcoded credential issue.
# Update the package repository and upgrade EyesOfNetwork
yum update -y eyesofnetwork
# Restart the web server to apply changes
systemctl restart httpd2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If an immediate upgrade is not feasible, manually replace the static hardcoded API key with a unique, randomly generated string.
# Backup the original API configuration file
cp /usr/share/eyesofnetwork/eonapi/include/api_functions.php /usr/share/eyesofnetwork/eonapi/include/api_functions.php.bak
# Generate a secure 64-character hex key and replace the hardcoded EONAPI_KEY
NEW_KEY=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
sed -i "s/define('EONAPI_KEY', '.*')/define('EONAPI_KEY', '${NEW_KEY}')/g" /usr/share/eyesofnetwork/eonapi/include/api_functions.php3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Verify whether your installation is still using the default hardcoded key and audit web server logs for unauthorized API access.
# Check the currently configured EONAPI_KEY value
grep -r 'EONAPI_KEY' /usr/share/eyesofnetwork/eonapi/
# Audit Apache access logs for suspicious API and AutoDiscovery requests returning HTTP 200
grep -E '/api/|autodiscovery' /var/log/httpd/ssl_access_log | grep ' 200 'Block 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-2020-8657) exists in the API component of EyesOfNetwork 5.3. By default, all installations share the exact same API key, hardcoded as EONAPI_KEY within the include/api_functions.php file for API version 2.4.2. This violates CWE-798 (Use of Hardcoded Credentials), exposing the authentication mechanism to trivial bypass.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
Because the EONAPI_KEY is static and publicly known from the source code, an external attacker does not need to compromise any local credentials to obtain it. By leveraging this static key, the attacker can locally compute or guess the administrative access token generation algorithm. Once the valid admin token is generated, the attacker can send API requests to administrative endpoints, bypassing authentication entirely and potentially executing arbitrary commands.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
With a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical) and its active status on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, this vulnerability poses an immediate threat. Successful exploitation grants full administrative control over the EyesOfNetwork monitoring platform. Attackers can leverage this access to map internal network topologies, compromise monitored assets, and perform lateral movement across the enterprise infrastructure.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
An issue was discovered in EyesOfNetwork 5.3. The installation uses the same API key (hardcoded as EONAPI_KEY in include/api_functions.php for API version 2.4.2) by default for all installations, hence allowing an attacker to calculate/guess the admin access token.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2020-8657)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2020-8657 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2020-8657 is rated CVSS 9.8 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 91.9%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2020-8657?
Primary impacted vendors include eyesofnetwork across eyesofnetwork. Scope summary: EyesOfNetwork version 5.3 (utilizing API version 2.4.2)
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2020-8657 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately replace the hardcoded API key with a unique cryptographically secure string and upgrade to the patched version Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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