CVE-2025-32456 in Quantenna Wi-Fi Chipset
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2025
The Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset ships with a local control script, router_command.sh (in the put_file_to_qtn argument), that is vulnerable to command injection. This is an instance of CWE-88, "Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')," and is estimated as a CVSS 7.7 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N). This issue affects Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset through version 8.0.0.28 of the latest SDK, and appears to be unpatched at the time of this CVE record's first publishing, though the vendor has released a best practices guide for implementors of this chipset.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-32456 resides within the Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset ecosystem, specifically targeting a local control script named router_command.sh. This script operates within the put_file_to_qtn argument context and demonstrates a critical command injection flaw that enables attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected device. The vulnerability manifests through improper neutralization of argument delimiters in a command environment, which directly maps to CWE-88 classification. This command injection weakness represents a significant security risk as it allows unauthorized users with local access to potentially compromise the entire network infrastructure. The affected chipset versions extend through 8.0.0.28 of the latest SDK, indicating this issue has persisted across multiple iterations of the firmware, suggesting either inadequate security review processes or delayed patch deployment strategies by the vendor.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when attacker-controlled input is improperly handled within the router_command.sh script, allowing malicious commands to be executed with the privileges of the script's execution context. The CVSS score of 7.7 reflects the high severity nature of this flaw, with attack vector classified as local (AV:L) indicating that exploitation requires physical or network access to the device, but the low access complexity (AC:L) suggests minimal technical expertise is required. The lack of privilege requirements (PR:N) and user interaction (UI:N) further amplifies the threat, as the vulnerability can be exploited without user involvement. The impact assessment reveals high confidentiality (C:H) and integrity (I:H) implications, indicating that successful exploitation could lead to complete data compromise and unauthorized modifications to the system's operational parameters. The absence of availability impact (A:N) suggests that while the system may be compromised, the primary threat focuses on data and configuration manipulation rather than denial of service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual device compromise to potentially affect entire network infrastructures that rely on Quantenna chipsets. Network administrators and security professionals must recognize that this vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that could be exploited for reconnaissance, lateral movement, or establishment of persistent backdoors within affected networks. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple SDK versions indicates that vendors may have failed to implement proper input validation mechanisms or may have delayed security updates despite awareness of the issue. This creates a dangerous scenario where organizations deploying Quantenna-based Wi-Fi solutions remain exposed to command injection attacks, potentially enabling attackers to modify network configurations, extract sensitive information, or establish unauthorized access points. The fact that a best practices guide has been released by the vendor suggests that while a formal patch may not yet be available, security-conscious implementers can adopt mitigation strategies to reduce the attack surface.
Organizations utilizing Quantenna Wi-Fi chipsets should implement immediate operational mitigations to address this vulnerability, including network segmentation to limit local access to affected devices, implementation of strict access controls, and monitoring for anomalous command execution patterns. The ATT&CK framework's T1059.001 technique for command and scripting interpreter execution becomes particularly relevant in this context, as attackers may leverage the command injection vulnerability to establish persistent access. Security teams should also consider deploying network monitoring tools to detect unauthorized command execution attempts and implement regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar injection flaws in other network components. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-88 emphasizes the need for comprehensive input validation and sanitization practices throughout the software development lifecycle, particularly in scripts handling user-provided data. Additionally, organizations should maintain close communication with Quantenna regarding potential patch availability and consider alternative hardware solutions if the vulnerability remains unaddressed for extended periods.