Insecure OS Firmware

Insecure OS Firmware

Overview of the Vulnerability

When Operating System (OS) firmware is insecure, it broadens the application’s attack surface and gives an attacker more opportunity to maintain persistence and achieve a high level of privilege within the application. Firmware can be exploited via network, software, or hardware layers. Once compromised, an attacker can establish persistence, capture sensitive data, exfiltrate data, impact application performance, or pivot into attacking the company’s wider network.

Business Impact

This vulnerability can lead to direct financial loss to the company due to data theft, application manipulation and corruption, or denial of service to customers and users of the application. It can also lead to reputational damage as customers may view the application as insecure.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start {{application}} on the operating system and navigate to {{url}}

2. Input the following payload into {{parameter}}:

{{Payload}}

1. Observe that the OS firmware is insecure

Proof of Concept (PoC)

The screenshot below shows insecure OS firmware:

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Guidance

Provide a step-by-step walkthrough with a screenshot on how you exploited the vulnerability. Your submission must include evidence of the vulnerability and not be theoretical in nature. For an operating system suffering from command injection, please include a video or screenshots of the steps required to exploit the command injection within the application. If hard-coded passwords are present, please demonstrate them present within the source code.

Attempt to show how the insecurity in the OS firmware can be used by an attacker in an impactful way. If this is possible, provide a full Proof of Concept (PoC).

Recommendation(s)

It is recommended to keep all firmware up to date with the latest version and include all firmware in a patch management lifecycle with a detailed firmware upgrade plan.