CVE-2024-51007 in XR300
Summary
by MITRE • 11/05/2024
Netgear XR300 v1.0.3.78 was discovered to contain a stack overflow via the passphrase parameter at wireless.cgi. This vulnerability allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via a crafted POST request.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-51007 affects Netgear XR300 wireless routers running firmware version v1.0.3.78 and potentially other affected models. This issue resides within the wireless.cgi web interface component that handles wireless network configuration parameters. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes a POST request containing a specially crafted passphrase parameter, which triggers an exploitable stack buffer overflow condition. This type of vulnerability represents a classic software security flaw that can be leveraged to disrupt normal system operations and potentially escalate to more severe consequences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the wireless.cgi script. When processing the passphrase parameter through a POST request, the application fails to properly bounds-check the input data before copying it into a fixed-size stack buffer. This oversight creates a condition where an attacker can provide input exceeding the allocated buffer space, causing the stack to overflow and potentially overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data. The vulnerability is classified as a stack-based buffer overflow, which is categorized under CWE-121 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, representing a fundamental memory safety issue that has been consistently identified as a critical threat in software security assessments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially compromise the overall integrity and availability of the affected network infrastructure. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can cause the wireless.cgi service to crash or restart repeatedly, leading to sustained denial of service for legitimate users attempting to access wireless network configuration interfaces or establish wireless connections. The DoS condition can persist until the device is manually rebooted or the firmware is updated, creating extended periods of network disruption. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides an easy path to network disruption without requiring advanced exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where continuous network availability is critical.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, where it maps to the T1499.004 technique related to network denial of service attacks and potentially the T1566.001 technique for initial access through web application attacks. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard web browser interactions, making it accessible to attackers with basic technical skills. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Netgear, network segmentation to isolate affected devices, and monitoring for suspicious POST requests to wireless.cgi endpoints. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of input validation practices and the need for regular security assessments of network device firmware to identify and remediate similar memory safety issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.