Overview
The cybersecurity community is shifting its focus to a new vulnerability discovered in Shenzhen Tuoshi NR500-EA RG500UEAABxCOMSLICv3.4.2731.16.43 devices. By default, these devices enable the Secure Shell (SSH) service and also contain a hidden hard-coded root account that cannot be disabled via the Graphical User Interface (GUI). This poses a significant threat to the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data and services running on these devices. The vulnerability’s potential to facilitate system compromise or data leakage places it among the critical cybersecurity concerns that need immediate attention.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-43982
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Shenzhen Tuoshi NR500-EA RG500UEAABxCOMSLICv3.4.2731.16.43 | All versions
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of the SSH service that is enabled by default in the Shenzhen Tuoshi NR500-EA devices. An attacker can gain unauthorized access to the device by using the hidden hard-coded root account, which cannot be disabled through the device GUI. Once the attacker gains access, they can execute arbitrary commands as the root user, leading to full system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
The following conceptual SSH command demonstrates how an attacker might exploit the vulnerability:
ssh root@target_device_ip
# The attacker enters the hard-coded password here.
password: hardcoded_password
# Once authenticated, the attacker has root access.This conceptual command allows the attacker to gain unauthorized access to the device. From there, they can navigate through the file system, modify configurations, and access sensitive data.
Mitigation Measures
The primary mitigation measure is to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. If the patch is not yet available or cannot be applied immediately, users are advised to use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) as temporary mitigation. These tools can help to identify and block attempts to exploit the vulnerability.
Finally, users should consider disabling the SSH service if it is not strictly necessary for the operation of the device. This could help to reduce the attack surface until a more permanent solution can be implemented.