CVE-2026-116837 in airMAX M
Summary
by MITRE • 10/27/2026
A malicious actor with access to the adjacent network could exploit a Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability found in airMAX M, LTU, SolarPoint, and SolarSwitch devices to execute arbitrary code on the device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The identified vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within the firmware of Ubiquiti Networks products, specifically affecting the airMAX M, LTU, SolarPoint, and SolarSwitch series. This heap-based buffer overflow arises from improper memory management during the processing of network packets or configuration data. When an attacker with access to the adjacent network segment sends specially crafted input to these devices, the application fails to adequately validate the size of the incoming data before copying it into a pre-allocated heap buffer. Consequently, excess data overwrites adjacent memory locations on the heap, corrupting internal data structures and control flow mechanisms such as function pointers or exception handlers. This corruption allows an attacker to redirect program execution to arbitrary code injected via the overflowed payload, leading to remote code execution with the privileges of the vulnerable process.
From a technical perspective, this flaw is classified under CWE-122, which denotes heap-based buffer overflows. The vulnerability leverages the dynamic memory allocation characteristics of modern operating systems and embedded Linux environments commonly used in these networking devices. By manipulating the heap metadata or overwriting critical pointers, an attacker can achieve arbitrary read and write capabilities within the device's memory space. This capability is particularly dangerous because it bypasses many standard network-level security controls that rely on packet inspection rather than deep state analysis of application-layer processing logic. The requirement for adjacent network access implies that physical proximity or compromise of a nearby node in the same broadcast domain is necessary to exploit this flaw, which limits its scope compared to internet-facing vulnerabilities but significantly increases the risk within local area networks and campus environments where such devices are frequently deployed.
The operational impact of successful exploitation is severe, resulting in full system compromise. An attacker can execute arbitrary commands on the device, effectively gaining control over the network infrastructure element. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data traversing or stored by the device, manipulation of routing tables, interception of traffic through man-in-the-middle attacks, and use of the compromised device as a pivot point for further lateral movement within the internal network. In industrial IoT contexts where SolarPoint and LTU devices are often used, this could also disrupt critical monitoring and control systems. The vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for client execution, although in this embedded context, it more closely resembles direct system compromise techniques such as T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter or T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation if the process runs with elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching of all affected device firmware to versions that include fixes for this heap overflow condition. Network administrators should implement strict access control lists on adjacent network segments to restrict communication with these devices only from authorized management stations, thereby reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems capable of detecting anomalous memory corruption patterns or malformed packet structures can provide an additional layer of defense in depth. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing focused on embedded device security are recommended to identify similar misconfigurations or unpatched flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to compromise network infrastructure integrity.