Overview
This particular vulnerability, designated CVE-2025-46116, has been identified in CommScope Ruckus Unleashed and Ruckus ZoneDirector, two widely-utilized network management solutions. This exploit allows an authenticated attacker to disable the passphrase requirement for a hidden CLI command, and in turn, escape the restricted shell to obtain a root shell on the controller. This could result in potential system compromise or data leakage. It’s a significant concern, given that these products are often used in large-scale network environments, so the compromise of a single controller could potentially impact a significant number of users and devices.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-46116
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Severity Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Authenticated user)
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
CommScope Ruckus Unleashed | Up to 200.15.6.212.14 and 200.17.7.0.139
CommScope Ruckus ZoneDirector | Up to 10.5.1.0.279
How the Exploit Works
An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by making a management API call to disable the passphrase requirement for the `!v54!` CLI command. Once the passphrase requirement is disabled, the attacker can then invoke this hidden command to escape the restricted shell. After escaping the restricted shell, the attacker obtains a root shell on the controller, effectively giving them full control over the system and the potential to compromise the system or leak data.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s an example of how an HTTP request exploiting this vulnerability might look:
POST /api/disable_passphrase HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer <auth_token>
{ "command": "!v54!" }After this, the attacker could use the following command to escape the restricted shell:
!v54!This would then grant the attacker a root shell on the controller.
Mitigation and Recommendations
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible. In the absence of a vendor patch or while waiting for its application, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation by monitoring network traffic for signs of exploitation of this vulnerability. However, these measures are not a complete solution and the vendor patch should be applied as soon as it is available.