CVE-2026-101187 in ZHOME A0101
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
A weakness has been identified in Ziroom ZHOME A0101 1.0.1.0. This vulnerability affects the function pop_usb_device of the file usr/lib/lua/luci/controller/api/zrUsb.lua of the component USB Device Management API. This manipulation of the argument path causes command injection. The attack is possible to be carried out remotely. The exploit has been made available to the public and could be used for attacks. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
The Ziroom ZHOME A0101 smart home gateway running firmware version 1.0.1.0 contains a critical security flaw within its USB Device Management API, specifically located in the pop_usb_device function found in the usr/lib/lua/luci/controller/api/zrUsb.lua file. This vulnerability represents a classic command injection weakness where user-supplied input is improperly sanitized before being passed to system-level commands for execution. The root cause lies in the manipulation of the path argument provided by the caller, which allows an attacker to inject arbitrary shell commands into the device's operating environment. Because this component handles USB device management operations, it likely interacts with low-level system utilities or scripts that interpret strings as executable code without adequate validation against special characters such as semicolons, pipes, or backticks that are commonly used in command chaining attacks.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns closely with CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command and CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code. The lack of input validation means that any string passed to the pop_usb_device function is directly concatenated into a system call without filtering for malicious payloads. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it bypasses application-level security controls, granting the attacker direct access to the underlying operating system shell. Given that the affected component is part of the LuCI controller interface, which typically serves as the web management portal for embedded devices, this creates a high-risk attack surface where remote exploitation becomes feasible without requiring physical access or prior authentication if network exposure permits it.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, potentially leading to complete compromise of the smart home gateway. An attacker exploiting this command injection flaw could execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the service running the Lua script, which often includes root-level permissions in embedded Linux environments common in IoT devices. This capability allows for a wide range of malicious activities including data exfiltration, installation of persistent backdoors, pivoting to other devices on the local network, and denial of service by disrupting critical system processes. The availability of public exploits significantly lowers the barrier to entry for attackers, increasing the likelihood of automated scanning and exploitation campaigns targeting vulnerable instances across the internet.
This vulnerability maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Command and Scripting Interpreter abuse, specifically T1059 which covers various scripting languages including Lua in this context. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can leverage existing exploit kits or custom scripts to target exposed management interfaces without needing local access. This aligns with common IoT attack patterns where unpatched firmware vulnerabilities are exploited at scale for botnet recruitment or as an initial foothold in larger intrusion campaigns.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through vendor-provided patches if available, although the lack of response from Ziroom suggests users may need to rely on community-developed workarounds or network-level controls. Implementing strict input validation and output encoding for all arguments passed to system commands is essential to prevent command injection at the code level. For organizations unable to update firmware immediately, deploying web application firewalls with rules designed to detect common shell metacharacters in API requests can provide a layer of defense. Additionally, restricting network access to the LuCI management interface by placing it behind authentication gateways or limiting connectivity to trusted IP ranges reduces the attack surface significantly. Regular vulnerability assessments and monitoring for unusual outbound connections from IoT devices are also recommended to detect potential exploitation attempts early.