CVE-2024-57235: Critical Command Injection Vulnerability in NETGEAR RAX5 Router

Overview

We will be diving into the details of a recently discovered critical vulnerability – CVE-2024-57235. This command injection vulnerability has been identified in the NETGEAR RAX5 (AX1600 WiFi Router) V1.0.2.26. This is a critical vulnerability due to its potential to lead to system compromise or data leakage. Given the ubiquity of NETGEAR routers in homes and businesses across the globe, the vulnerability holds the potential for widespread impact.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-57235
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

NETGEAR RAX5 (AX1600 WiFi Router) | V1.0.2.26

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability lies in the vif_enable function of the NETGEAR RAX5 router. Specifically, the ‘iface’ parameter is susceptible to command injection. This means that an attacker can inject malicious code that the system will execute. This could potentially lead to unauthorized access, system compromise, or data leakage.
By leveraging this vulnerability, an attacker can run arbitrary commands on the system, which could be used to disable security measures, manipulate data, or even install malware. The most alarming aspect is that this vulnerability requires no user interaction and no special privileges, significantly increasing the ease and potential range of attacks.

Conceptual Example Code

Here’s a conceptual example showing how the vulnerability might be exploited using an HTTP POST request:

POST /vif_enable HTTP/1.1
Host: target-router-ip
Content-Type: application/json
{ "iface": "; rm -rf /;" }

In this example, the malicious payload `”; rm -rf /;”` would be injected into the ‘iface’ parameter. This is a destructive command that, when executed, would delete all files in the system. This is just one example of what an attacker could do. The actual impact could be even more severe, depending on the attacker’s intentions.

Recommended Mitigations

It is highly recommended to apply the vendor’s patch to fix this vulnerability. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation. These can help detect and block attacks attempting to exploit this vulnerability. However, they should not be considered a long-term solution as they do not address the root cause of the vulnerability.