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Realsecure NokiaApplication · Iss

CVE-2002-0480

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2002-08-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
ISS RealSecure for Nokia devices before IPSO build 6.0.2001.141d is configured to allow a user "skank" on a machine "starscream" to become a key manager when the "first time connection" feature is enabled and before any legitimate administrators have connected, which could allow remote attackers to gain access to the device during installation.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

ISS RealSecure for Nokia IPSO devices contains a default backdoor account (user 'skank' on machine 'starscream') that becomes the key manager when the 'first time connection' feature is enabled and before legitimate administrators have connected, allowing remote attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access during initial device installation.

MitigationUpgrade Nokia IPSO to build 6.0.2001.141d or later to eliminate the default backdoor. Alternatively, immediately disable the 'first time connection' feature after installation and ensure proper administrator accounts are configured before the device is exposed to the network.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Realsecure NokiaApplication
Affected:= 6.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check RealSecure version
    Access the Nokia IPSO command line and run: show software or version command for ISS RealSecure. Compare output to version 6.0.
    Affected if Installed version is exactly 6.0 (without the 6.0.2001.141d or later patch)
  2. Verify first time connection feature
    Inspect the RealSecure configuration files or management interface for the 'first time connection' setting. Look for a configuration option that controls initial key exchange or first-time setup wizard.
    Affected if The 'first time connection' feature is enabled or has been enabled during initial setup
  3. Examine active key manager session
    Check the current key manager status in RealSecure. Look for which account currently holds the key manager role on the device.
    Affected if The key manager is an account other than a legitimate administrator account configured by your organization
  4. Audit for backdoor account skank
    Review the list of authorized users or groups in RealSecure configuration. Search for any account named 'skank' or any reference to machine 'starscream' in the user database or authentication configuration.
    Affected if User account 'skank' or reference to 'starscream' exists in the RealSecure user database

The environment is affected if RealSecure version 6.0 is installed with the first time connection feature enabled and no legitimate administrator has yet completed initial configuration, allowing the backdoor account skank on starscream to hold key manager privileges.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Nokia IPSO to build 6.0.2001.141d or later to eliminate the default backdoor. Alternatively, immediately disable the 'first time connection' feature after installation and ensure proper administrator accounts are configured before the device is exposed to the network.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

IPSO build 6.0.2001.141d or later

  1. Upgrade Nokia IPSO to build 6.0.2001.141d or later to resolve the default credential vulnerability
  2. As a configuration mitigation, disable the 'first time connection' feature when not needed
  3. Ensure legitimate administrators connect and configure the system before any other network-accessible connections are allowed
  4. If the product is no longer supported, consider migrating to a current Nokia (now Nokia Networks) security solution or alternative intrusion prevention system
Caveat This is a 2002 vulnerability; the product (ISS RealSecure for Nokia) may be obsolete and unsupported. Ensure the target system is still within vendor support lifecycles before upgrading.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Realsecure Nokia Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2002-0480 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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