Overview
In this post, we will be delving into the details of a high severity vulnerability, CVE-2025-44961, that affects RUCKUS SmartZone (SZ) versions before the 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build. This vulnerability allows authenticated users to perform an OS command injection via an IP address field. The consequences of successful exploitation could lead to a potential system compromise or data leakage, making this vulnerability a significant risk to any organization using the affected versions of RUCKUS SmartZone.
This vulnerability is particularly concerning due to the widespread usage of RUCKUS SmartZone in managing Wi-Fi networks. As such, successful exploitation could have far-reaching implications for both network integrity and data security within affected organizations.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-44961
Severity: Critical (CVSS score 9.9)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
RUCKUS SmartZone | Before 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability is an OS command injection flaw. It occurs when an authenticated user can input malicious data into an IP address field. The software fails to adequately sanitize the user input, which can then be processed by the system as an OS command. This could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the system, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:
POST /ruckus/sz HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer <token>
{ "ip_address": "; rm -rf /" }In this example, the user provides an IP address that includes a common Unix command (`rm -rf /`) which, if executed, would delete all files on the system. This is a simple example to illustrate the potential severity of this vulnerability. Actual exploitation attempts would likely be more sophisticated and potentially more destructive.
Recommended Mitigation
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is strongly recommended that users immediately apply the vendor’s patch. If not immediately feasible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation against potential attacks. However, these measures should be seen as a stopgap while the vendor patch is applied.