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The CVE-2024-38276 vulnerability stems from the inclusion of hardcoded default administrative credentials within the standard configuration files for nginx-defender. These files, `config.yaml` and docker-compose.yml, contain predictable, weak passwords (default_password: "change_me_please" and GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin123). An attacker with network access to the administrative interface can leverage these known credentials to perform a successful authentication bypass. This is achieved by simply submitting the default username and password pair through the login portal. Upon successful login, the attacker gains full administrative privileges over the nginx-defender instance. This control allows them to disable security protections, exfiltrate sensitive logging and configuration data, and potentially use the compromised system as a pivot point to attack the backend infrastructure that nginx-defender was meant to protect.
Platform: Nginx-Defender
Version: <1.5.0
Vulnerability: Default Credentials
Severity: Critical
date: 2024
Prediction: Patch Date: 2024-Q2
What Undercode Say:
Check for default password in config.yaml grep "default_password: change_me_please" config.yaml Check environment for default admin pass env | grep GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin123 Curl to test admin login (replace IP) curl -X POST -d "user=admin&password=admin123" http://<TARGET_IP>/login
How Exploit:
- Network reconnaissance to identify exposed nginx-defender admin panels.
- Attempt login using the username `admin` and password `admin123` or
change_me_please. - Upon successful authentication, gain full administrative control over the web application.
- Disable security modules, extract all logs, and manipulate the WAF ruleset.
Protection from this CVE:
Immediately upgrade to nginx-defender version 1.5.0 or later.
Manually replace all default credentials in configuration files with strong, unique passwords before deployment.
Restrict network access to the administrative interface using firewall rules (e.g., ufw deny from any to any port 3000).
Utilize external secret management systems or environment variables for credential storage instead of plaintext files.
Impact:
Full system compromise, complete bypass of security protections, unauthorized data access, and potential lateral movement into the protected network segment.
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Sources:
Reported By: github.com
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