CVE-2025-9252 in RE6250
Summary
by MITRE • 08/21/2025
A weakness has been identified in Linksys RE6250, RE6300, RE6350, RE6500, RE7000 and RE9000 1.0.013.001/1.0.04.001/1.0.04.002/1.1.05.003/1.2.07.001. Affected by this vulnerability is the function DisablePasswordAlertRedirect of the file /goform/DisablePasswordAlertRedirect. Executing manipulation of the argument hint can lead to stack-based buffer overflow. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been made available to the public and could be exploited. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2025
This vulnerability affects multiple Linksys router models including RE6250, RE6300, RE6350, RE6500, RE7000, and RE9000 running specific firmware versions. The weakness resides in the DisablePasswordAlertRedirect function within the /goform/DisablePasswordAlertRedirect file, representing a classic stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability that can be remotely exploited. The vulnerability is triggered through manipulation of the hint argument parameter, which allows an attacker to write beyond the bounds of a fixed-size buffer allocated on the stack. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is categorized as a critical security flaw in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it enables remote code execution without authentication requirements, making these devices highly susceptible to exploitation by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and memory management practices within the router's web interface form handling mechanism. When the hint argument is processed by the DisablePasswordAlertRedirect function, the system fails to properly bounds-check user-supplied input before copying it into a fixed-length stack buffer. This allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent stack memory locations including return addresses and function pointers, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only a single HTTP request to the affected form endpoint, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through web-based attacks without requiring physical access to the device or specialized network privileges. The publicly available exploit demonstrates the severity of the issue, as it can be leveraged by threat actors with minimal technical expertise to compromise these network devices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual device compromise to potentially affect entire network infrastructures. Compromised routers can serve as entry points for broader network attacks, enabling man-in-the-middle attacks, DNS hijacking, or lateral movement within corporate networks. The vulnerability affects devices that are commonly deployed in home and small office environments, where network security is often inadequate and devices may be exposed to the internet without proper firewall protection. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol DNS, as compromised routers can be used to redirect DNS queries or serve as command and control infrastructure. The lack of vendor response after initial disclosure indicates a potential gap in the security community's ability to address firmware-level vulnerabilities in consumer networking equipment.
Organizations and individuals should immediately implement mitigations including disabling unnecessary web management interfaces, implementing network segmentation, and applying any available firmware updates from Linksys. Network administrators should consider deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The recommended approach includes configuring firewalls to block external access to the affected web forms and implementing network access controls to limit internal access to router management interfaces. Given the absence of vendor response, community-driven patching efforts and security advisories should be monitored closely for any additional information or workarounds. Regular network monitoring should include detection of unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around the /goform/DisablePasswordAlertRedirect endpoint. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in embedded systems and the need for manufacturers to provide timely security updates for their networking equipment.