CVE-2022-37079 in A7000R
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2022
TOTOLINK A7000R V9.1.0u.6115_B20201022 was discovered to contain a command injection vulnerability via the hostName parameter in the function setOpModeCfg.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-37079 represents a critical command injection flaw within the TOTOLINK A7000R router firmware version V9.1.0u.6115_B20201022. This issue resides in the setOpModeCfg function where the hostName parameter is processed without adequate input validation or sanitization. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied data that allows attackers to inject malicious commands directly into the system's command execution pipeline. Such a flaw fundamentally compromises the router's security posture by enabling unauthorized code execution with the privileges of the affected service.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic command injection weakness that aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-88 categories, where user-controllable input is directly concatenated into system commands without proper escaping or filtering mechanisms. The hostName parameter serves as the attack vector, allowing malicious actors to append arbitrary commands that get executed by the underlying operating system. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when developers assume that input will always be properly formatted or when they fail to implement proper input validation at the point of use.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes the affected router to significant security risks including unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and potential network compromise. An attacker could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands on the device, potentially gaining root access or establishing persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The implications extend beyond individual device compromise as routers serve as critical network gateways, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise or home network environments where multiple devices depend on the router for connectivity and security services.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is relatively narrow but highly impactful, as it requires an attacker to have access to the router's web interface or API endpoints that expose the setOpModeCfg function. However, given that many router configurations remain accessible without strong authentication mechanisms, the attack surface can be significantly expanded. Security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK categorize this type of vulnerability under T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) when considering the execution and privilege escalation aspects of command injection attacks. Network defenders should prioritize immediate mitigation through firmware updates and network segmentation to prevent lateral movement in case of exploitation.