CVE-2025-28034 in A800R
Summary
by MITRE • 04/22/2025
TOTOLINK A800R V4.1.2cu.5137_B20200730, A810R V4.1.2cu.5182_B20201026, A830R V4.1.2cu.5182_B20201102, A950RG V4.1.2cu.5161_B20200903, A3000RU V5.9c.5185_B20201128, and A3100R V4.1.2cu.5247_B20211129 were found to contain a pre-auth remote command execution vulnerability in the NTPSyncWithHost function through the hostTime parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2025
This vulnerability exists within multiple TOTOLINK router models including A800R, A810R, A830R, A950RG, A3000RU, and A3100R firmware versions, specifically affecting NTPSyncWithHost function implementations. The flaw manifests through the hostTime parameter which allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected devices. This represents a critical pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability that bypasses normal authentication mechanisms and could enable attackers to gain full control over impacted network infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the network time protocol synchronization functionality, where user-supplied time parameters are directly processed without proper security controls.
The technical exploitation occurs when remote attackers send specially crafted requests containing malicious payloads within the hostTime parameter of the NTPSyncWithHost function. This parameter is designed to synchronize device time with external hosts but fails to properly validate or sanitize input data, creating a command injection vector. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the affected service account, typically running with elevated privileges on network devices. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, representing command injection flaws that allow attackers to execute unauthorized code on target systems. According to ATT&CK framework, this maps to T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1021.001 for remote services, enabling attackers to establish persistent access and execute further malicious activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution, as compromised devices can serve as entry points for broader network infiltration. Attackers could potentially use these routers as pivoting points to access internal network resources, conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, or deploy additional malware. The affected devices operate in residential and small office environments where network security controls may be minimal, amplifying the risk. Network administrators face significant challenges in detecting such attacks since legitimate time synchronization activities occur regularly, making malicious command execution harder to distinguish from normal device behavior. The vulnerability affects multiple firmware versions across different router models, indicating a systemic issue within the software architecture rather than isolated component failures.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate firmware updates from TOTOLINK to address the command injection vulnerability, network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement, and implementation of intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious NTP synchronization activities. Organizations should also disable unnecessary remote access features and implement proper network monitoring to detect anomalous command execution patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure input validation in network device firmware and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing during development cycles. Regular vulnerability assessments and network monitoring remain critical for identifying similar weaknesses in network infrastructure components that could provide attackers with unauthorized access and execution capabilities.