CVE-2024-2353 in X6000R
Summary
by MITRE • 03/10/2024
A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Totolink X6000R 9.4.0cu.852_20230719. This issue affects the function setDiagnosisCfg of the file /cgi-bin/cstecgi.cgi of the component shttpd. The manipulation of the argument ip leads to os command injection. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier VDB-256313 was assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2024
This critical vulnerability exists in the Totolink X6000R router firmware version 9.4.0cu.852_20230719 and represents a severe operating system command injection flaw within the shttpd web server component. The vulnerability is specifically located in the setDiagnosisCfg function of the /cgi-bin/cstecgi.cgi file, where the ip parameter is improperly validated and processed. This flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the affected device by manipulating the ip argument, effectively bypassing normal authentication and access controls. The vulnerability has been assigned the identifier VDB-256313 and has been publicly disclosed, with proof-of-concept exploitation code already available in the wild.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-77, which describes improper neutralization of special elements used in operating system commands, and falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. The shttpd web server component processes user input directly without proper sanitization or validation, creating a direct pathway for command injection attacks. When an attacker sends a malicious payload through the ip parameter, the system executes the injected commands with the privileges of the web server process, typically running as root or with administrative access. This allows for complete system compromise including but not limited to arbitrary code execution, data exfiltration, network reconnaissance, and persistent backdoor installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides remote attackers with unrestricted access to the affected router's operating system. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, redirect network traffic, establish persistent access points, or use the compromised device as a launching platform for further attacks against internal networks. The vulnerability affects the router's core network functionality and can lead to complete network compromise when the device is connected to a network. Given that this is a remote exploit that does not require authentication, the attack surface is extremely broad and can be exploited by anyone with network access to the device. The lack of vendor response to early disclosure attempts compounds the risk as no official patches or mitigations are currently available.
Organizations and individuals should immediately implement network segmentation to isolate affected devices from critical systems, disable unnecessary services, and consider implementing network monitoring to detect suspicious command execution patterns. The most effective mitigation strategy involves applying firmware updates from the vendor if available, though the lack of vendor response suggests this may not be immediately possible. Network administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls or intrusion prevention systems that can detect and block malicious payloads targeting this specific vulnerability pattern. Additionally, regular network scanning should be conducted to identify other potentially vulnerable devices on the network, as similar command injection vulnerabilities may exist in other network equipment or firmware versions. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and the need for secure coding practices in embedded systems and web server components.