CVE-2017-2874

Executive Summary

CVE-2017-2874 is an unauthenticated information disclosure vulnerability affecting the Foscam C1 Indoor HD Camera running application firmware version 2.52.2.43. The vulnerability resides in the Multi-Camera interface, which listens on TCP port 10001, and allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to retrieve sensitive information by sending a specially crafted request. With a CVSS base score of 7.5 (High), the vulnerability has significant confidentiality impact, though no integrity or availability impact is indicated. The vulnerability remains unpatched as of this writing, with no vendor fix available and no evidence of exploitation in the wild per CISA KEV tracking. Organizations using affected Foscam C1 cameras, particularly those exposed to the internet, are at risk of sensitive information disclosure including potentially camera credentials and configuration data.

Technical Analysis

The NVD description indicates the vulnerability exists in the "Multi-Camera interface" of the Foscam C1 Indoor HD Camera when running application firmware 2.52.2.43. The interface is exposed on TCP port 10001, which is a non-standard port commonly used by Foscam devices for proprietary communication protocols.

Vulnerability mechanism: The Multi-Camera interface processes incoming network requests without requiring prior authentication. A specially crafted request sent to this interface allows the retrieval of sensitive information. The description explicitly states the vulnerability class is "information disclosure" — meaning the flaw permits an unauthenticated party to read data that should be protected. The exact nature of the data accessible (e.g., device credentials, network configuration, user lists, or video stream metadata) is not specified in the NVD description, and insufficient technical detail is available to determine the precise request structure or data fields exposed.

Attack surface: The attack surface is the network-exposed service listening on port 10001. This port is part of Foscam's proprietary command/control protocol used for camera management and multi-camera coordination. The lack of authentication on this interface suggests that either the authentication check is bypassed, missing entirely for certain methods, or the interface was designed to be trusted implicitly within a local network and this trust is exploitable remotely.

Code-level analysis: No source code, function names, API endpoints, or request structures are provided in the NVD description or CNA title. Without access to the firmware internals or vendor documentation, specific implementation details cannot be responsibly described. The vulnerability mechanism should be understood at the class level: an unauthenticated network service exposes sensitive data in response to crafted input, likely due to missing access controls or improper authorization validation on one or more command handlers within the Multi-Camera interface.

CVSS analysis: The CVSS score of 7.5 with the "High" severity rating indicates the vulnerability is network-exploitable (AV:N), requires no special privileges (PR:N), and requires no user interaction (UI:N). The score reflects high confidentiality impact; integrity and availability impact are either low or none. The exact vector string was not provided, but a score of 7.5 under CVSS v3.x typically corresponds to a vector such as CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N (High confidentiality, no integrity/availability impact) or similar variations depending on scope and attack complexity values.

EPSS context: The EPSS score of 0.01778 (76.2nd percentile) indicates a low-to-moderate probability of exploitation in the wild. While the vulnerability has not been observed in active exploitation campaigns per CISA KEV, the fact that it ranks in the 76th percentile of EPSS scores suggests some threat actor interest or active scanning/monitoring of this vulnerability.

Exploitation Scenarios

No public PoC or exploit code is available for this vulnerability, and no Nuclei template exists. The attack chain described below is inferred strictly from the vulnerability class and the information disclosed in the NVD description.

Step 1 — Reconnaissance and target identification: An attacker would begin by identifying Foscam C1 cameras exposed to the internet. This can be accomplished through internet-wide scanning (e.g., Shodan, Censys, masscan) targeting port 10001, or by scanning for Foscam-specific banners and protocol fingerprints. The Foscam C1 is an IP camera commonly deployed in home environments, small offices, and sometimes in retail/business settings for surveillance purposes. Attackers may also leverage port 80/443 (HTTP admin interface) to identify Foscam devices, then check if port 10001 is also exposed.

Step 2 — Flaw class trigger: Once a target is identified with port 10001 reachable, the attacker crafts a request to the Multi-Camera interface. Since the description indicates the flaw allows information retrieval without authentication, the attacker would send a request that triggers the vulnerable handler. The exact request format (binary protocol, XML, JSON, plain text commands) is unknown, but based on Foscam's proprietary protocol design, the request is likely a structured command directed at the Multi-Camera subsystem. The attacker does not need valid credentials or prior knowledge of the camera's configuration to trigger the flaw.

Step 3 — Payload/execution method: At the vulnerability-class level, the attacker sends a specially crafted network request to port 10001. The "specially crafted" nature of the request suggests that normal or standard requests to this interface may be ignored or rejected, but a specific command, parameter combination, or malformed input grants access to otherwise protected information. The exploitation is entirely remote and does not require physical access, user interaction, or prior authentication.

Step 4 — Post-exploitation impact: Upon successful exploitation, the attacker retrieves sensitive information. Based on the device type (IP camera) and interface (multi-camera management), plausible disclosed data includes: device administrator credentials, camera network configuration, connected camera list, Wi-Fi SSID/passwords (if the camera is Wi-Fi connected), and potentially video stream access credentials. If credentials are disclosed, the attacker could then authenticate to the camera's web interface, potentially gaining full administrative control, enabling video surveillance, camera manipulation, or lateral movement within the local network if the camera is multi-homed.

It is acceptable to note: No public PoC available; attack chain is inferred from vulnerability class.

Impact Assessment

Business impact: The primary impact is confidentiality loss. An unauthenticated attacker retrieving sensitive information from the camera could obtain credentials that allow full device compromise. In a home environment, this may expose private video feeds or Wi-Fi credentials, enabling further network intrusion. In a business environment where Foscam C1 cameras are used for surveillance, this could compromise physical security monitoring, expose proprietary information visible to cameras, and provide attackers with a foothold inside the corporate network perimeter if the camera has internal network access.

Affected systems: Only Foscam C1 Indoor HD Camera models running application firmware 2.52.2.43 are identified as affected. No other firmware versions are listed in the affected versions array, but insufficient data exists to confirm whether earlier or later firmware versions are also vulnerable. The vendor, Foscam, has a history of security vulnerabilities across multiple camera lines, and similar issues may exist in other models.

Blast radius: The CVSS score of 7.5 reflects high confidentiality impact. The blast radius is limited to a single device's information disclosure, but the downstream impact (credential theft leading to full device compromise, network pivoting) can be significant. The camera's position within the network determines the broader blast radius — a camera on a flat home network could expose the entire LAN, while a camera on a segmented IoT VLAN would have a more contained impact.

CVSS subscore analysis: A score of 7.5 with the available data indicates the confidentiality impact is rated High (C:H), while integrity and availability are likely Low or None (I:N, A:N). The privilege requirements (PR:N) and user interaction (UI:N) confirm that no authentication or user action is required for exploitation, making this a remotely triggerable, low-complexity attack.

Detection Guidance

The detection guidance below is tailored to detect network traffic targeting port 10001 with patterns consistent with Foscam Multi-Camera protocol usage. Given the proprietary nature of the protocol and no known signatures, these rules are heuristic and focus on anomalous access to port 10001.

Sigma Rule

title: Foscam C1 Multi-Camera Interface Port 10001 Suspicious Access
id: 8d3a1f6e-2c4b-4a5e-9f7a-1b2c3d4e5f6a
status: experimental
description: Detects network connections to TCP port 10001 on Foscam devices, potentially indicating CVE-2017-2874 exploitation attempts
author: Valtersit Threat Intelligence
date: 2024/01/15
tags:
    - attack.initial-access
    - attack.t1190
    - cve.2017-2874
logsource:
    category: network-connection
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        DestinationPort: 10001
        Initiated: 'true'
        DestinationIp:
            - '192.168.0.0/16'
            - '10.0.0.0/8'
            - '172.16.0.0/12'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate Foscam multi-camera management traffic from authorized applications
    - Foscam camera mobile app connections
level: high

YARA Rule

rule Foscam_MultiCamera_InfoDisclosure_CVE_2017_2874
{
    meta:
        author = "Valtersit Threat Intelligence"
        description = "Detects packets targeting Foscam C1 Multi-Camera interface port 10001 with patterns potentially associated with CVE-2017-2874 exploitation"
        cve = "CVE-2017-2874"
        date = "2024-01-15"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-2874"
    strings:
        $foscam_magic = { 46 4F 53 43 41 4D }  // "FOSCAM" ASCII
        $port_marker_1 = { 27 11 }              // Little-endian port 10001 (0x2711)
        $port_marker_2 = { 11 27 }              // Big-endian port 10001
        $info_query   = { 49 4E 46 4F }         // "INFO" ASCII
        $config_query = { 43 46 47 }            // "CFG" ASCII
        $multi_cam    = { 4D 55 4C 54 49 }      // "MULTI" ASCII
    condition:
        (uint16(0) == 0x2711 or uint16be(0) == 0x2711) or
        any of ($foscam_magic, $port_marker_1, $port_marker_2, $info_query, $config_query, $multi_cam)
        and filesize < 2048
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert tcp any any -> any 10001 (msg:"CVE-2017-2874 Foscam C1 Multi-Camera Interface Unauthenticated Information Disclosure Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"|46 4f 53 43 41 4d|"; nocase; content:"|69 6e 66 6f|"; nocase; distance:0; sid:20172874; rev:1; classtype:attempted-recon; reference:cve,2017-2874; reference:url,nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-2874; metadata:created_at 2024_01_15, updated_at 2024_01_15;)

Elastic Detection

network where destination.port == 10001 and
  network.transport == "tcp" and
  (network.direction == "ingress" or network.direction == "inbound") and
  source.ip != "127.0.0.1" and
  not source.ip in ("10.0.0.0/8", "172.16.0.0/12", "192.168.0.0/16")  // adjust to exclude legitimate local traffic if appropriate
  
// Additional heuristic: multiple connection attempts to port 10001 from same source within short window
| stats connection_count = count() by source.ip, destination.ip
| where connection_count >= 5

Splunk SPL Query

index=network sourcetype=bro:conn OR sourcetype=cisco:asa
| where dest_port=10001 AND proto=tcp
| eval is_internal = if(cidrmatch("10.0.0.0/8", src_ip) OR cidrmatch("172.16.0.0/12", src_ip) OR cidrmatch("192.168.0.0/16", src_ip), "internal", "external")
| where is_internal="external"
| stats count by src_ip, dest_ip, dest_port, _time
| where count > 5
| eval severity="high"
| table _time, src_ip, dest_ip, dest_port, count, severity
| sort - _time

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="foscam,cve-2017-2874,">
    <rule id="100274" level="12" frequency="5" timeframe="120">
        <if_matched_sid>100001</if_matched_sid>
        <description>Multiple connection attempts detected to Foscam C1 Multi-Camera interface port 10001 - potential CVE-2017-2874 exploitation</description>
        <group>cve-2017-2874,foscam,reconnaissance,</group>
        <options>no_full_log</options>
        <var name="src_ip">srcip</var>
    </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence: 0/4 — UNPATCHED. No patch evidence exists from any tracked source. The vendor has not released a fix, and no firmware version has been identified as remediating this vulnerability. Organizations must assume the vulnerability remains exploitable in all versions of the Foscam C1 firmware known to date.

Immediate mitigations:

1. Network isolation: Restrict access to TCP port 10001. Use firewall rules or network access control lists (ACLs) to block inbound connections to port 10001 from untrusted networks. If the camera does not require external management, block port 10001 from all external sources.
2. Segmentation: Place the camera on an isolated VLAN or network segment with strict egress filtering. Do not allow the camera to have unrestricted access to the corporate LAN or other sensitive network segments.
3. Disable the Multi-Camera interface: If the multi-camera functionality is not required, disable the feature through the camera's configuration interface (if supported in firmware 2.52.2.43) to reduce the attack surface.
4. Apply egress filtering: Block outbound connections from the camera to the internet unless required for legitimate updates or remote access. This limits the ability of an attacker to exfiltrate data or establish command-and-control channels.
5. Monitor port 10001 traffic: Implement the detection rules provided above to alert on anomalous access to this port.

Patch/upgrade steps:

1. Check the Foscam official website and support portal for any firmware updates for the C1 Indoor HD Camera model. As of this report, no patch is available.
2. Contact Foscam support directly to inquire about the status of a fix for CVE-2017-2874 and request to be notified when a patched firmware is released.
3. If the camera cannot be patched and must remain in service, consider replacing it with a device from a vendor with a stronger security track record and active patch commitments.

Long-term hardening:

1. Default credential change: Ensure all Foscam camera default credentials are changed immediately. While this does not mitigate CVE-2017-2874 directly, it reduces the impact if disclosed information includes credentials.
2. Firmware update policy: Establish a process to regularly check for and apply firmware updates for all IoT devices in the environment.
3. Network monitoring: Deploy continuous network monitoring for all IoT devices, with particular attention to non-standard ports and proprietary protocols.
4. Vendor assessment: Evaluate security practices of IoT vendors before procurement, prioritizing vendors with a demonstrated commitment to security patching and vulnerability disclosure.
5. Inventory management: Maintain an accurate inventory of all IoT devices, including firmware versions and network exposure, to facilitate rapid response to future vulnerabilities.
6. Access minimization: Review whether the camera truly needs to be reachable from the internet or from any network segment beyond the minimum required for its function.

References

1. NVD Entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-2874 — Official NVD record containing the description, CVSS score, and references.
2. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog — Confirms CVE-2017-2874 is NOT listed as exploited in the wild (status: NO).
3. Foscam Official Website: https://www.foscam.com — Vendor site for firmware updates and support; no advisory or patch identified for this CVE.
4. FIRST EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System): https://www.first.org/epss/ — EPSS score 0.01778 (76.2% percentile) indicates moderate exploit probability prediction.
5. Mitre ATT&CK: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/ — Mapping to "Exploit Public-Facing Application," the relevant tactic/technique for this network-exposed vulnerability.

Threat actor campaign evidence: No known threat actor campaigns, exploit-in-the-wild activity, or public exploitation reports have been identified for CVE-2017-2874. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. However, the Foscam product line has been a frequent target of IoT botnets (e.g., Mirai variants) that exploit default credentials and known vulnerabilities in IP cameras, and the absence of public exploit code does not preclude the possibility of private exploitation or inclusion in future botnet toolkits.