Widespread Vulnerabilities in ZKTeco Biometric Terminals Discovered by Kaspersky Researchers

Kaspersky researchers have uncovered a series of critical vulnerabilities in biometric terminals developed by ZKTeco, raising concerns about potential security breaches in high-security environments. These flaws could allow threat actors to bypass authentication, steal sensitive data, and even take full control of the affected terminals.

The biometric terminals, which are widely used and distributed under various brand names, are commonly found in sensitive locations such as nuclear power plants, chemical plants, and hospitals. With the ability to store thousands of facial templates, these devices play a crucial role in ensuring security and access control.

Researchers identified 24 different vulnerabilities in ZKTeco biometric terminals, including SQL injection, buffer stack overflow, command injection, and arbitrary file write and read vulnerabilities. These flaws could be exploited by cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access, steal biometric data, and deploy backdoors for future attacks.

Georgy Kiguradze, Senior Application Security Specialist at Kaspersky, emphasized the diverse impact of these vulnerabilities, highlighting the risks of deepfake attacks and social engineering tactics. He urged immediate patching of these vulnerabilities to prevent potential data breaches and unauthorized access to restricted areas.

While the researchers have shared their findings with ZKTeco, it is unclear whether the vulnerabilities have been addressed. In the meantime, they recommend isolating biometric reader usage, strengthening administrator passwords, auditing security settings, minimizing QR code functionality, and regularly updating firmware to mitigate risks.

As organizations rely on biometric terminals for access control and security, it is crucial to address these vulnerabilities promptly to safeguard sensitive data and prevent potential security breaches. The urgency of patching these flaws underscores the importance of proactive security measures in high-risk environments.