Template:Security guidelines

From Teltonika Networks Wiki

Summary

In this article you can find details about all Teltonika's supported security features also what device has which security implementations and a guide how to use them properly.

Security guidelines

Below you may find some of the most common security recommendations - these recommendations can and should be applied not only to Teltonika devices, but to all internet-facing appliances. It is always advised to adhere to the following security recommendations whenever device is exposed to the internet in some way.

General Security Guidelines

  • Keep Firmware Updated - Always ensure that firmware is up to date.
  • Set Strong Passwords - Use strong, unique passwords for all services (WebUI, SSH, Post/Get). Passwords should include numbers, symbols, uppercase, and lowercase letters. Passwords should be between 15-20 characters long.
  • Install Trusted Packages - Only install packages from known and trusted sources.
  • Use Secure Configuration Protocols - Use SSH or HTTPS for device configuration. Avoid using insecure protocols like telnet or HTTP, especially for remote configuration.
  • Disable unused services - Disable services that are not used, especially those that provide some sort of administrative capabilities (e.g.: WiFi, SMS Utilities, Web CLI).
  • Ensure WiFi Security - If WiFi is used, ensure it employs the latest encryption standards like WPA3 or WPA2 with AES. Avoid using TKIP.
  • Assign Minimum Necessary Permissions - Make sure to provide the least amount of required permissions for any additionally created user account.
  • Set SIM Card Limits - Set SMS and data limits for your SIM card to prevent misuse.

Security Hardening Guidelines

  • Limit Administrative Access - Avoid exposing administrative services to the internet. If public access is mandatory, set unconventional ports (e.g., 32768-65535) for common services.
  • Secure Exposed Services - If remote access is necessary, ensure that it is protected by a firewall. If remote access is required for any administrative interface, modify the rule to only accept traffic from known sources (e.g. modify the SSH WAN access rule to only allow connections from a specific source address).
  • Manage WiFi Effectively - Disable WiFi if it is not needed. Consider reducing wireless transmission power rather than hiding the ESSID.
  • Use Key-Based Authentication - Make sure to use key-based authentication wherever possible (e.g. accessing device via SSH).
  • Verify Backup Integrity - Always write down & compare MD5/SHA hashes of backup files and firmware files before uploading them to the device.
  • Use Phone Number Whitelisting - Create phone number groups for SMS commands to act as a whitelist.
  • Disable Unnecessary Utilities - Review and disable unnecessary SMS/Call utilities and commands, or disable this functionality completely.

Secure Operation Guidelines

  • Regularly Update Firmware - Regularly check and apply firmware updates for security patches and improvements.
  • Monitor Access Continuously - Continuously monitor access to administrative services and restrict as needed. Create and regularly review ”Events Reporting” rules to inform when certain events occur on the device.
  • Update Passwords Periodically - Regularly update passwords and ensure they adhere to strong password policies.
  • Audit Protocols Regularly - Regularly audit the protocols used for configuration and management to ensure they remain secure.
  • Review Firewall rules - Regularly audit and review firewall and traffic rules.
  • Review used services - Regularly review the services that are being used on the device. Disable services that are not used.
  • Configure Secure VPNs - Use secure VPN protocols (e.g., IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard) for remote access instead of exposing sensitive services directly.
  • Conduct WiFi Audits - Periodically review WiFi settings and ensure they comply with the latest security requirements.
  • Review SIM Card Usage - Regularly review SMS and data usage limits and adjust them based on current needs and usage patterns. Disable SMS utilities entirely, if it is not utilized whatsoever.


Please note that regardless of currently running configuration, we strongly recommend to keep up with the latest firmware version which generally includes not only overall improvements to the router functionality, but also security patches & vulnerability fixes.

Understandably, every production environment is different and some features may be altered or changed in newer firmware versions – please always make sure to test & verify newer firmware versions before deploying any such firmware onto devices in production environment.

RUT9xx security features

In the table below you can find all the security features supported by Teltonika's RUT9xx devices.

Security measurement type Security measurement name By default Details
DDOS Prevention SYN Flood Protection On A SYN flood is a form of denial-of-service attack in which an attacker sends a succession of SYN requests to a target's system in an attempt to consume enough server resources to make the system unresponsive to legitimate traffic.
Remote ICMP Requests On An Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) flood attack, also known as a Ping flood attack, is a common denial-of-service attack in which an attacker attempts to overwhelm a targeted device with ICMP echo-requests (pings).
SSH Attack Prevention Off A Secure Shell (SSH) flood attack, is a common denial-of-service attack in which an attacker attempts to overwhelm a targeted device with SSH requests.
HTTP Attack Prevention Off A Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) flood attack is a common denial-of-service attack in which an attacker attempts to overwhelm a targeted device with HTTP requests.
HTTPS Attack Prevention Off Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) flood attack is same as HTTP flood attack but using HTTPS protocol instead of simple HTTP
Port Scan Prevention Port Scan Off A port scan is a process that sends client requests to a range of server port addresses on a host, with the goal of finding an active port.
SYN-FIN attack Off An attacker may send TCP/IP packets with the SYN and FIN TCP/IP flags set to a target system, ranging across all ports, to find open TCP/IP ports for further attacks. The target system will drop packets which are destined to open ports and send back RST/ACK packets for closed ports. The attacker may gather information from the system responses.
SYN-RST attack Off SYN-RST attack, also known as TCP reset attack, is an abrupt closure of the session which causes the resources allocated to the connection to be immediately released and all other information about the connection is erased. TCP reset is identified by the RESET flag in the TCP header.
X-Mas attack Off Christmas Tree (X-Mas) Attack is designed to send a very specifically crafted TCP packet to a device on the network. This crafting of the packet is one that turns on a bunch of flags. There is some space set up in the TCP header, called flags. And these flags all are turned on or turned off, depending on what the packet is doing.
FIN scan Off FIN packets can bypass firewalls without modification. Closed ports reply to a FIN packet with the appropriate RST packet, whereas open ports ignore the packet on hand. This is typical behavior due to the nature of TCP.
NULLflags attack Off A Null Scan is a series of TCP packets that contain a sequence number of 0 and no set flags. In a production environment, there will never be a TCP packet that doesn’t contain a flag. Because the Null Scan does not contain any set flags, it can sometimes penetrate firewalls and routers that filter incoming packets with particular flags.
Access Control Remote SSH access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote HTTP access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote HTTPS access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote CLI access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Local SSH access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Local HTTP access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Local HTTPS access Off By default turned off - where is no scenario where HTTPS usage would be needed "out side the box".
Local CLI access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Block Unwanted Access SSH Access Secure On By default, device allows a maximum of 5 login attempts (user defined). If all attempts are used, device will block SSH access from that source.
WebUI Access Secure On By default, device allows a maximum of 5 login attempts (user defined). If all attempts are used, device will block WebUI access from that source.
Configuration via SMS SMS Utilities By router admin password Default authorization method for configuration via SMS command is by router admin password. It's very important to have a strong password for admin account.
Default admin password First login On Default password for Teltonika's devices is admin01 (weak password) but on first login to WebUI - RutOS forcefully requires user to change it. It is recommended to use a strong password
Certificates Root CA Pre-uplouded Root CA certificate are only needed if you want to use HTTPS for your services. There is a default file already preloaded in this device which will be overwritten by any uploaded file.
Universal Plug and Play UPnP Not installed / Off UPnP doesn't require any sort of authentication from the user. Any application running on your computer in LAN can ask the router to forward a port over UPnP, which is why the malware can abuse UPnP. Recommendation - If you don’t use it when leave it not installed or turned off.
Universal Asynchronous Receiver – Transmitter UART By router admin password Many manufacturers are implementing UART interfaces on their devices. If this interface is not password protected, security of the device may be compromised. If malicious 3rd party gains physical access to the device it will have full control of the router via UART interface, this is a reason why our devices have password protected UART interfaces.

RUTXxx security features

In the table below you can find all the security features supported by Teltonika's RUTXxx devices.

Security measurement type Security measurement name By default Details
DDOS Prevention SYN Flood Protection On A SYN flood is a form of denial-of-service attack in which an attacker sends a succession of SYN requests to a target's system in an attempt to consume enough server resources to make the system unresponsive to legitimate traffic.
Access Control Remote SSH access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote HTTP access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote HTTPS access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote CLI access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Local SSH access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Local HTTP access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Local HTTPS access Off By default turned off - where is no scenario where HTTPS usage would be needed "out side the box".
Local CLI access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Block Unwanted Access SSH Access Secure On By default, device allows a maximum of 5 login attempts (user defined). If all attempts are used, device will block SSH access from that source.
Configuration via SMS SMS Utilities (Only in RUTX09 and RUTX11) By router admin password Default authorization method for configuration via SMS command is by router admin password. It's very important to have a strong password for admin account.
Default admin password First login On Default password for Teltonika's devices is admin01 (weak password) but on first login to WebUI - RutOS forcefully requires user to change it. It is recommended to use a strong password
Certificates Root CA Pre-uplouded Root CA certificate are only needed if you want to use HTTPS for your services. There is a default file already preloaded in this device which will be overwritten by any uploaded file.
Universal Plug and Play UPnP Not installed / Off UPnP doesn't require any sort of authentication from the user. Any application running on your computer in LAN can ask the router to forward a port over UPnP, which is why the malware can abuse UPnP. Recommendation - If you don’t use it when leave it not installed or turned off.
Universal Asynchronous Receiver – Transmitter UART By router admin password Many manufacturers are implementing UART interfaces on their devices. If this interface is not password protected, security of the device may be compromised. If malicious 3rd party gains physical access to the device it will have full control of the router via UART interface, this is a reason why our devices have password protected UART interfaces.

TRB14x security features

In the table below you can find all the security features supported by Teltonika's TRB14x devices.

Security measurement type Security measurement name By default Details
DDOS Prevention SYN Flood Protection On A SYN flood is a form of denial-of-service attack in which an attacker sends a succession of SYN requests to a target's system in an attempt to consume enough server resources to make the system unresponsive to legitimate traffic.
Access Control Remote SSH access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote HTTP access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote HTTPS access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Remote CLI access Off All Remote access is disabled by default. If user is using remote access feature it may be a security threat. If user decides to use this feature - it is recommended to use a strong password.
Local SSH access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Local HTTP access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Local HTTPS access Off By default turned off - where is no scenario where HTTPS usage would be needed "out side the box".
Local CLI access On Enabled by default for user convenience, allows possibility of configuring the device when user is in the same LAN.
Configuration via SMS SMS Utilities By router admin password Default authorization method for configuration via SMS command is by router admin password. It's very important to have a strong password for admin account.
Default admin password First login On Default password for Teltonika's devices is admin01 (weak password) but on first login to WebUI - RutOS forcefully requires user to change it. It is recommended to use a strong password
Certificates Root CA Pre-uplouded Root CA certificate are only needed if you want to use HTTPS for your services. There is a default file already preloaded in this device which will be overwritten by any uploaded file.
Universal Asynchronous Receiver – Transmitter UART By router admin password Many manufacturers are implementing UART interfaces on their devices. If this interface is not password protected, security of the device may be compromised. If malicious 3rd party gains physical access to the device it will have full control of the router via UART interface, this is a reason why our devices have password protected UART interfaces.

Active services

In the table below you can find all the services, which are enabled on default configuration in Teltonika's devices.

Service Port LAN WAN
SSH 22 Open Closed
HTTP 80 Open Closed
HTTPS 443 Open Closed