Overview
In the cybersecurity landscape, unpatched vulnerabilities represent a significant threat to system security. This blog post discusses one such vulnerability – CVE-2025-44960 – which affects RUCKUS SmartZone (SZ) versions preceding 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build. This vulnerability, if exploited, can lead to severe consequences including potential system compromise and data leakage. For organizations relying on RUCKUS SmartZone for their network management, understanding this vulnerability and its implications is crucial to maintaining robust security defenses.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-44960
Severity: High (8.5 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
RUCKUS SmartZone (SZ) | Before 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build
How the Exploit Works
This vulnerability stems from improper handling of input in a certain parameter within an API route in RUCKUS SmartZone. By injecting malicious OS commands into this parameter, an attacker can trigger command execution on the underlying system. This type of vulnerability, known as OS command injection, allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the host operating system, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s a conceptual example of a malicious HTTP request exploiting the vulnerability:
POST /vulnerable/api/route HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "vulnerable_parameter": "'; cat /etc/passwd ; #" }In this example, the `vulnerable_parameter` is filled with a malicious payload. The `’;` sequence ends the original command, the `cat /etc/passwd` command leaks sensitive data, and the `#` symbol comments out any remaining commands, ensuring that the malicious command gets executed.
Recommended Mitigation
The vulnerability has been fixed in the 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build of RUCKUS SmartZone. All users are strongly urged to apply this vendor patch as soon as possible to protect their systems. In the interim, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. These systems can be configured to block or alert on suspicious patterns that might indicate an attempt to exploit this vulnerability.