Digisol DG-GR1321: Plaintext Password Storage Vulnerability (CVE-2024-4232)

Password security is one of the most fundamental pillars of protecting digital systems. Whether it’s a personal device, enterprise network, or critical infrastructure, the way passwords are stored directly impacts the safety of users and organizations alike. Best practices dictate that passwords should always be encrypted or hashed using industry-standard algorithms, ensuring that even if systems are compromised, sensitive data remains protected.

Unfortunately, not all devices follow these principles. One such case is the Digisol DG-GR1321 router (Hardware version 3.7L; Firmware version v3.2.02), which has been found to store user passwords in plaintext within its firmware/database. This design flaw represents a severe security risk, as it bypasses the very protections that password storage mechanisms are meant to enforce.

If an attacker gains physical access to the device, they can extract the firmware, reverse-engineer the binary data, and uncover plaintext credentials with minimal effort. Once in possession of these credentials, an attacker could manipulate the router’s configuration, gain persistent access to the network, and potentially launch further attacks on connected systems.

This vulnerability has been officially cataloged as CVE-2024-4232, underscoring the seriousness of the issue. In this blog, we will explore the technical details of the flaw, its potential impact, a proof-of-concept scenario, and recommended mitigation strategies.