Overview
In the realm of cybersecurity, every new day presents a fresh set of challenges to overcome. Today’s focus falls on a critical vulnerability labelled as CVE-2025-3461. This flaw, inherent in Quantenna Wi-Fi chips, could potentially lead to severe system compromises or data leakage if exploited. With an alarming CVSS severity score of 9.1, the vulnerability pertains to an unauthenticated telnet interface within these chips. This issue is especially concerning because it affects a wide range of devices that utilize the Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset, and it remains unpatched at the time of initial publishing of this CVE record.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-3461
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset | Up to and including 8.0.0.28
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from an oversight in the default configuration of the Quantenna Wi-Fi chips. These chips are shipped with an unauthenticated telnet interface by default. This allows an attacker with network access to potentially connect to this interface without the need for credentials. This vulnerability is a classic example of CWE-306, “Missing Authentication for Critical Function”. Once the unauthenticated access is obtained, the attacker can exploit the system and possibly lead to unauthorized data access or even system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited. The attacker could use a simple telnet command to reach the unauthenticated interface:
telnet target_ip_addressAfter connecting, the attacker could then issue commands or deploy scripts that could compromise the system or leak sensitive data. It’s crucial to note that this is a simplified example and real-world exploits are often more complex and sophisticated.
Mitigation Guidance
In the absence of an official patch, the vendor has released a set of best practices for implementors of the chipset. As a temporary mitigation solution, it is advised to use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS). These can help detect and prevent potential attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, these are only stop-gap measures and cannot replace the need for a proper patch. Administrators are urged to keep a close watch on any announcements from the vendor regarding a patch or a more permanent solution.