CVE-2017-8230: On Amcrest IPM-721S V2.420.AC00.16.R.20160909 devices, the users on the device are divided into 2 groups "admin" and "user".

On Amcrest IPM-721S V2.420.AC00.16.R.20160909 devices, the users on the device are divided into 2 groups "admin" and "user".

On Amcrest IPM-721S V2.420.AC00.16.R.20160909 devices, the users on the device are divided into 2 groups "admin" and "user". However, as a part of security analysis it was identified that a low privileged user who belongs to the "user" group and who has access to login in to the web administrative interface of the device can add a new administrative user to the interface using HTTP APIs provided by the device and perform all the actions as an administrative user by using that account. If the firmware version V2.420.AC00.16.R 9/9/2016 is dissected using binwalk tool, one obtains a _user-x.squashfs.img.extracted archive which contains the filesystem set up on the device that many of the binaries in the /usr folder. The binary "sonia" is the one that has the vulnerable functions that performs the various action described in HTTP APIs. If one opens this binary in IDA-pro one will notice that this follows a ARM little endian format. The function at address 0x00429084 in IDA pro is the one that processes the HTTP API request for "addUser" action. If one traces the calls to this function, it can be clearly seen that the function sub_ 41F38C at address 0x0041F588 parses the call received f

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by MITRE

What it means for a small business

If your business uses Ipm-721s Firmware, install the vendor's update. If you're not sure whether you use it, ask whoever manages your computers.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 1.6%, higher than 76% of CVEs. That’s above average: worth scheduling this week. Scored October 28, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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