CVE-2024-28551 in AC18
Summary
by MITRE • 03/26/2024
Tenda AC Series Router AC18_V15.03.05.19(6318) has a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in function form_fast_setting_wifi_set
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2026
The Tenda AC Series Router AC18_V15.03.05.19(6318) contains a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability within the form_fast_setting_wifi_set function, representing a critical security flaw that could enable remote code execution and system compromise. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and improper bounds checking when processing user-supplied data through web interface forms. The stack-based nature of the overflow indicates that malicious input can overwrite adjacent memory locations on the program's call stack, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate program execution flow and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the router's web server component failing to properly validate the length of input parameters submitted through the fast setting wifi configuration interface. When an attacker crafts malicious input data exceeding the allocated buffer size within the form_fast_setting_wifi_set function, the excess data overflows into adjacent stack memory regions. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a high-severity issue in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog and represents one of the most prevalent attack vectors in embedded systems and network devices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise and unauthorized access capabilities. An attacker who successfully exploits this buffer overflow could gain root-level privileges on the affected router, enabling them to modify network configurations, intercept traffic, establish persistent backdoors, or redirect network communications. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the device, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise and residential networks. According to ATT&CK framework category T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, this vulnerability could be leveraged to execute malicious commands, while T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation would apply to the privilege escalation aspects of the attack.
Organizations and individuals should immediately implement mitigation strategies including firmware updates from Tenda, network segmentation to limit access to affected devices, and monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in embedded systems development, as proper bounds checking and parameter validation could prevent this specific overflow condition from occurring. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and regularly audit router configurations to identify any unauthorized changes that might indicate successful attacks against this or similar vulnerabilities.