CVE-2025-3459 in Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2025
The Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset ships with a local control script, transmit_file, 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 • 01/21/2026
The Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset represents a significant security vulnerability through its transmit_file local control script which suffers from command injection flaws. This vulnerability manifests as an improper neutralization of argument delimiters in command execution contexts, directly mapping to CWE-88 classification. The security implications are severe as attackers with local access can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary commands on affected devices. The CVSS score of 7.7 indicates high severity with local attack vector requirements, low complexity, and no user interaction needed for exploitation. This vulnerability affects all versions of the Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset through version 8.0.0.28 of the latest software development kit, suggesting a widespread impact across various deployment scenarios.
The technical flaw resides in how the transmit_file script processes user-supplied arguments without proper sanitization or validation before incorporating them into system commands. When argument delimiters are not properly neutralized, attackers can inject malicious commands that get executed with the privileges of the script's execution context. This creates a persistent threat vector that allows for arbitrary code execution, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or compromise the entire device. The vulnerability exists at the command construction level where input parameters are directly concatenated into shell commands without appropriate escaping or encoding mechanisms.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations deploying Quantenna Wi-Fi chipsets in network infrastructure, IoT devices, or embedded systems. Attackers who gain local access through other means can leverage this command injection flaw to bypass normal security controls and execute malicious payloads. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as the vulnerability could enable attackers to modify device configurations, establish persistent backdoors, or use the compromised device as a launch point for further network attacks. The lack of patch availability at the time of CVE publication means affected organizations must rely on workarounds and best practices guidance from the vendor for immediate protection.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and sanitization techniques to prevent argument delimiter injection. Organizations should consider restricting local access to the affected system, implementing network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns. The vendor's best practices guide should be implemented immediately, which likely includes recommendations for secure coding practices, access controls, and runtime protections. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for command injection attempts and establish incident response procedures for potential exploitation. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the network infrastructure that may be susceptible to similar attack vectors. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, making it a critical target for both defensive and offensive security operations.