CVE-2018-17153

CVE-2018-17153 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Western Digital My Cloud Wdbctl0020hwt Firmware with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 87% places it in the 100th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Description

It was discovered that the Western Digital My Cloud device before 2.30.196 is affected by an authentication bypass vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability to authenticate as an admin user without needing to provide a password, thereby gaining full control of the device. (Whenever an admin logs into My Cloud, a server-side session is created that is bound to the user's IP address. After the session is created, it is possible to call authenticated CGI modules by sending the cookie username=admin in the HTTP request. The invoked CGI will check if a valid session is present and bound to the user's IP address.) It was found that it is possible for an unauthenticated attacker to create a valid session without a login. The network_mgr.cgi CGI module contains a command called "cgi_get_ipv6" that starts an admin session -- tied to the IP address of the user making the request -- if the additional parameter "flag" with the value "1" is provided. Subsequent invocation of commands that would normally require admin privileges now succeed if an attacker sets the username=admin cookie.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-17153?
It was discovered that the Western Digital My Cloud device before 2.30.196 is affected by an authentication bypass vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability to authenticate as an admin user without needing to provide a password, thereby gaining full control of the device. (Whenever an admin logs into My Cloud, a server-side session is created that is bound to the user's IP address. After the session is created, it is possible to call authenticated CGI modules by sending the cookie username=admin in the HTTP request. The invoked CGI will check if a valid session is present and bound to the user's IP address.) It was found that it is possible for an unauthenticated attacker to create a valid session without a login. The network_mgr.cgi CGI module contains a command called "cgi_get_ipv6" that starts an admin session -- tied to the IP address of the user making the request -- if the additional parameter "flag" with the value "1" is provided. Subsequent invocation of commands that would normally require admin privileges now succeed if an attacker sets the username=admin cookie.
How severe is CVE-2018-17153?
CVE-2018-17153 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-17153 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 87% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-17153?
CVE-2018-17153 primarily affects Western Digital My Cloud Wdbctl0020hwt Firmware. In total, 12 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-17153?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-17153 published?
CVE-2018-17153 was published on 2018-09-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (12)

Other CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities

Browse all CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities →