{"id":34301,"date":"2025-05-03T10:52:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T10:52:21","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-07-05T17:21:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T23:21:19","slug":"cve-2024-21821-arbitrary-os-command-execution-vulnerability-in-multiple-tp-link-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2024-21821-arbitrary-os-command-execution-vulnerability-in-multiple-tp-link-products\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2024-21821: Arbitrary OS Command Execution Vulnerability in Multiple TP-LINK Products<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity, it’s essential to stay abreast of the latest threats and vulnerabilities. One such vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-21821, poses a significant threat to multiple TP-LINK products, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands. TP-LINK, a globally renowned provider of networking devices and accessories, is widely used in both personal and professional settings, making this vulnerability particularly concerning.
\nThe vulnerability affects all network-adjacent authenticated users with access<\/a> to the product from the LAN port or Wi-Fi. If exploited successfully, it could lead to potential system compromise or data<\/a> leakage. As such, it’s crucial to be aware of this vulnerability, its impacts, and the measures needed to mitigate it.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2024-21821
\nSeverity: High (CVSS Score 8.0)
\nAttack Vector: Network
\nPrivileges Required: Low
\nUser Interaction: Required
\nImpact: System compromise<\/a>, Data leakage<\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

TP-LINK AC1750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router | All versions<\/a> pre-patch
\nTP-LINK TL-WR940N N450 Wireless N Router<\/a> | All versions pre-patch<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The exploit works by taking advantage of a flaw<\/a> in the product’s network services that fail to properly sanitize user input. This vulnerability allows an authenticated attacker on the LAN or Wi-Fi to inject arbitrary OS commands<\/a> into the system. These commands are then executed<\/a> with high privileges, facilitating unauthorized actions that can lead to system compromise or data leakage.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

To illustrate how the exploit might work, consider this conceptual example of an HTTP request<\/a> that an attacker might send:<\/p>\n

POST \/cgi-bin\/toolbox\/commands.cgi HTTP\/1.1\nHost: tplink.router\nContent-Type: application\/x-www-form-urlencoded\ncmd=ping&target=;cat \/etc\/passwd<\/code><\/pre>\n
In this example, the `cmd` parameter in the POST data is intended for a ping command<\/a>, but the attacker has appended an additional command (`cat \/etc\/passwd`) after a semicolon. This is a common command injection<\/a> technique. If the system does not sanitize this input, it would execute<\/a> both the ping command and the subsequent command to display the contents of the `\/etc\/passwd` file, potentially exposing sensitive user data.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview In the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity, it’s essential to stay abreast of the latest threats and vulnerabilities. One such vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-21821, poses a significant threat to multiple TP-LINK products, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands. TP-LINK, a globally renowned provider of networking devices and accessories, is widely used in both […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[],"product":[],"attack_vector":[78,80],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-34301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","attack_vector-injection","attack_vector-rce"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t