Overview
In the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats, a new high severity vulnerability has been identified in Totolink A3300R V17.0.0cu.596_B20250515. This vulnerability, known as CVE-2025-52046, poses a significant risk to the vast number of users who depend on this router for their daily internet operations. This command injection vulnerability is especially alarming because it allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted request. The severity of this vulnerability underscores the importance of immediate action to mitigate the potential impact.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52046
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
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
Totolink A3300R | V17.0.0cu.596_B20250515
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability resides in the sub_4197C0 function of the Totolink A3300R firmware. The function fails to properly sanitize the user-supplied inputs via the ‘mac’ and ‘desc’ parameters. This inadequate input validation opens the door for an attacker to inject malicious commands. These commands are then executed with the privileges of the process running the server, leading to a full system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited, using a maliciously crafted HTTP request:
POST /sub_4197C0 HTTP/1.1
Host: target
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
mac=;nc%20-l%20-p%208888%20-e%20/bin/sh;&desc=In this example, the attacker sends a POST request with the ‘mac’ parameter containing a command that starts a netcat listener on the target system. This listener, once established, could be used for a variety of nefarious purposes including data exfiltration or further system compromise.
Possible Mitigations
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is advised to apply the vendor’s patch as soon as it becomes available. Until the patch is available, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can help detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Regularly updating your system and maintaining a robust security posture are the best ways to stay protected against such threats.
