CVE-2018-8851
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 · uneditedEchelon SmartServer 1 all versions, SmartServer 2 all versions prior to release 4.11.007, i.LON 100 all versions, and i.LON 600 all versions. The devices store passwords in plaintext, which may allow an attacker with access to the configuration file to log into the SmartServer web user interface.
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 confidenceEchelon SmartServer and i.LON devices store user credentials in plaintext within configuration files. An attacker who gains access to these configuration files (through file system access, backup theft, or other means) can extract plaintext passwords and authenticate to the web interface with full privileges.
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 dataall versions< 4.11.007all versionsall versionsCVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify device model and firmware versionAccess the device web interface or use SNMP/CLI to retrieve the exact model number and firmware version. For SmartServer 2, check if the firmware version is below 4.11.007. For SmartServer 1, i.LON 100, and i.LON 600, all versions are affected.Affected if The device is a SmartServer 1 (any version), SmartServer 2 with firmware below 4.11.007, i.LON 100 (any version), or i.LON 600 (any version).
-
Determine if local user authentication is configuredCheck the device configuration or web interface to see if local user accounts are enabled for web interface access. Look for user management settings or local authentication configuration.Affected if Local user accounts are created and enabled for authentication.
-
Locate configuration files containing stored credentialsExamine the device's file system or backup files for configuration files that may contain user credentials. Check for files that store user accounts, passwords, or authentication data.Affected if Configuration files exist that contain plaintext passwords or credential data for local users.
-
Review exported or backup configuration filesIf device configuration backups or exports are stored on external systems, network shares, or cloud storage, examine these files for plaintext credentials.Affected if Backup or exported configuration files contain plaintext password data.
A user is affected if they operate any affected device model/version (SmartServer 1, SmartServer 2 below 4.11.007, i.LON 100, or i.LON 600) with local user accounts configured, where credentials are stored in plaintext within configuration files that could be accessed by an attacker.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped4.11.007
Update SmartServer 2 to firmware 4.11.007 or later; for unsupported devices (SmartServer 1, i.LON 100, i.LON 600), implement compensating controls such as network segmentation, strict file access controls, and consider device replacement. Where possible, enable external authentication (RADIUS/LDAP) to reduce reliance on local credential storage.
SmartServer 2: Upgrade to firmware version 4.11.007 or later
- For SmartServer 2: Upgrade firmware to version 4.11.007 or later from the Echelon support portal
- For SmartServer 1, i.LON 100, and i.LON 600: Contact Echelon vendor for available firmware updates since no fixed version is specified in the advisory
- Restrict physical and network access to the device configuration files to prevent unauthorized access
- If upgrading is not possible, implement network segmentation and strict access controls to limit exposure to attackers who could read configuration files
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $10,240.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-8851 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-8851 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data