CVE-2026-24723 in File Station
Summary
by MITRE • 10/15/2026
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability has been reported to affect File Station 5. If a remote attacker gains a user account, they can then exploit the vulnerability to launch a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
We have already fixed the vulnerability in the following version: File Station 5 5.5.6.5243 and later
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2026
The reported vulnerability represents a classic NULL pointer dereference flaw within the File Station 5 application, which is commonly deployed as part of network-attached storage solutions such as those from Synology. This type of defect occurs when software attempts to access memory at an address that has not been allocated or initialized, specifically targeting a null reference value rather than a valid object instance. In the context of web-based management interfaces like File Station 5, this typically happens during the processing of user-supplied input where expected data structures are missing required fields or contain unexpected values due to malformed requests or edge-case scenarios in file path handling. The absence of proper validation and error checking allows the application logic to proceed with an invalid pointer, leading directly to a segmentation fault or similar critical failure within the server process.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-476, which is defined as NULL Pointer Dereference. This weakness arises when a program dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is actually null, often because previous checks for validity were insufficient or bypassed. In web applications, such flaws are frequently triggered by specific HTTP requests where parameters related to file operations, directory listings, or metadata retrieval are manipulated to omit necessary attributes. When the backend service attempts to resolve these incomplete inputs into internal data structures, it fails to handle the resulting null state gracefully. Instead of returning a controlled error message, the underlying runtime environment terminates the process associated with handling that request, causing an immediate disruption in service availability for all users connected to the system at that moment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily centered on denial-of-service conditions rather than remote code execution or data exfiltration. Since exploitation requires a valid user account, the threat actor must first authenticate against the target system, which limits the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities. However, once authenticated, an attacker can repeatedly send crafted requests that trigger the NULL pointer dereference, causing the File Station service to crash and restart or become entirely unresponsive. This results in a persistent denial of service for file management operations, preventing legitimate users from accessing, uploading, downloading, or managing files on the NAS device. The stability of the entire storage system may be compromised if this process is critical to other dependent services running on the same platform.
This vulnerability aligns with several tactics and techniques within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to resource hijacking and service disruption. While not a direct execution technique like command injection, it serves as an effective method for disrupting availability, which is one of the three pillars of information security alongside confidentiality and integrity. Attackers may leverage this flaw in conjunction with other reconnaissance or privilege escalation steps if they seek to destabilize a target environment before pursuing more damaging objectives. The requirement for authentication means that this vulnerability is most relevant to insider threats or compromised credentials rather than external network-based attacks, highlighting the importance of strong access controls and monitoring for anomalous behavior from authenticated users.
To mitigate this risk, organizations must ensure that all File Station 5 instances are updated to version 5.5.6.5243 or later, where the vendor has implemented proper input validation and null-checking mechanisms within the application logic. These patches typically involve adding explicit checks for pointer validity before dereferencing them and ensuring that malformed inputs result in safe error responses rather than system crashes. In addition to applying software updates, administrators should enforce strict access control policies by limiting File Station access only to trusted users with a legitimate need for file management capabilities. Implementing network segmentation can also help isolate the NAS device from untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries who might attempt to exploit this flaw after gaining initial foothold through other means such as phishing or credential stuffing attacks.