CVE-2018-8859
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. An attacker can bypass the required authentication specified in the security configuration file by including extra characters in the directory name when specifying the directory to be accessed. This vulnerability does not affect the i.LON 600 product.
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 · low confidenceThis is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Echelon SmartServer and i.LON IoT devices. Attackers can bypass required authentication by manipulating directory path specifications with extra characters, exploiting insufficient path validation in the security configuration. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication due to improper path handling in the web server or application layer.
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 the device model and firmware versionAccess the device's web interface or use SNMP to query the device. Look for the firmware version displayed in the device status or about page. For command-line access, check the device's system information or use the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.Affected if The device is an Echelon SmartServer 1, SmartServer 2 (version below 4.11.007), i.LON 100, or i.LON 600, and the firmware version cannot be verified or is within the affected range.
-
Confirm the web server is enabled and accessibleAttempt to access the device's web interface over HTTP/HTTPS from a network-connected host. Check if the login page or any web resource responds.Affected if The web interface is reachable and responds to requests, indicating the web server is active.
-
Test for authentication bypass via path manipulationSend HTTP requests with modified directory paths (such as adding extra characters like /../ or multiple slashes ///) to protected web resources. Compare the server response with and without path manipulation to see if authentication is enforced consistently.Affected if Requests with manipulated paths return content or administrative functions that would normally require authentication, indicating the vulnerability is present.
-
Verify network exposure of the deviceReview firewall rules, ACLs, and network segmentation to determine if the device's web interface is accessible from untrusted networks or the internet.Affected if The device web interface is accessible from networks outside the trusted internal network without compensating controls.
A user is affected if they operate any SmartServer 1, SmartServer 2 below 4.11.007, i.LON 100, or i.LON 600 device with the web interface exposed, where path manipulation can bypass authentication.
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.
From vendor data4.11.007
Update SmartServer 2 to firmware version 4.11.007 or later. For SmartServer 1 and i.LON 100, contact Echelon for patch availability or implement network segmentation/compensating controls to restrict unauthenticated access to these devices.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,304.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-8859 — 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-2018-8859 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