CVE-2019-16288 in N301 Wireless Router
Summary
by MITRE
On Tenda N301 wireless routers, a long string in the wifiSSID parameter of a goform/setWifi POST request causes the device to crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-16288 affects Tenda N301 wireless routers and represents a classic buffer overflow condition within the device's web interface handling mechanism. This issue manifests when a maliciously crafted POST request is sent to the goform/setWifi endpoint with an excessively long string value for the wifiSSID parameter. The router's firmware fails to properly validate input length constraints, leading to memory corruption that ultimately results in system instability and complete device crash. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 buffer overflow category, specifically representing a stack-based buffer overflow where insufficient bounds checking allows arbitrary data to overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through HTTP POST requests targeting the router's administrative interface, specifically the goform/setWifi endpoint which handles wireless network configuration parameters. When the wifiSSID parameter exceeds the allocated buffer space, the overflow corrupts the stack memory, causing the router's web server process to terminate abruptly. The crash renders the device inaccessible until manual reboot or power cycle is performed, effectively creating a denial of service condition that impacts network connectivity for all devices relying on that router. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where router availability is critical for network operations.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks beyond simple denial of service. The device crash can be exploited by attackers to disrupt network services, potentially causing cascading failures in network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects Tenda N301 routers running firmware versions prior to the patch release, making it particularly concerning for organizations with legacy network equipment. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication requirements, as the affected endpoint is accessible through the standard web interface. According to ATT&CK framework, this represents a privilege escalation and denial of service technique that could be leveraged as part of a broader attack campaign targeting network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-16288 should focus on immediate firmware updates from Tenda, which address the buffer overflow by implementing proper input validation and bounds checking for the wifiSSID parameter. Network administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of router administrative interfaces to untrusted networks. Additional protective measures include monitoring network traffic for anomalous POST requests to the affected endpoint and implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation in embedded web interfaces and demonstrates how seemingly benign parameter handling can create critical security weaknesses. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments of their network infrastructure to identify similar issues in other router models and firmware versions that may be susceptible to similar buffer overflow conditions.