CVE-2026-26048 in USR-W610
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2026
The Wi-Fi router is vulnerable to de-authentication attacks due to the absence of management frame protection, allowing forged deauthentication and disassociation frames to be broadcast without authentication or encryption. An attacker can use this to cause unauthorized disruptions and create a denial-of-service condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-26048 represents a critical security flaw in wireless network infrastructure, specifically affecting Wi-Fi routers that lack proper management frame protection mechanisms. This weakness stems from the absence of 802.11w-2009 standard compliance, which is designed to protect against malicious interference in wireless networks. The vulnerability exists at the fundamental level of wireless communication protocols where management frames are transmitted without authentication or encryption, creating an opening for attackers to exploit the inherent trust model of wireless networks.
The technical flaw manifests through the router's inability to validate the authenticity of management frames, particularly deauthentication and disassociation frames that are used to terminate wireless connections. Without management frame protection, these frames can be easily forged and broadcast by unauthorized parties, allowing attackers to send malicious deauthentication packets that force wireless clients to disconnect from the network. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in wireless communication protocols, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which covers network disruption through deauthentication attacks. The flaw essentially removes the cryptographic integrity protection that should validate frame origins, leaving the network susceptible to man-in-the-middle style attacks where attackers can manipulate wireless connections without detection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network disruption, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise network availability and potentially lead to more severe consequences. An attacker can systematically deauthenticate multiple clients simultaneously, creating widespread service disruption that affects legitimate users and potentially enabling further attacks such as credential harvesting or network infiltration. The denial-of-service condition can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where wireless connectivity is critical for business operations, potentially causing productivity losses and financial impacts. Additionally, the vulnerability creates opportunities for advanced persistent threats where attackers can use the deauthentication attacks as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks, such as capturing wireless traffic or performing credential stuffing attacks against authenticated sessions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of 802.11w-2009 standard compliance, which provides management frame protection through the use of Robust Security Network (RSN) authentication. Network administrators should ensure that all wireless access points and routers support and enforce management frame protection, typically through enabling the "management frame protection" setting in wireless security configurations. The implementation should include both 802.11w-2009 and 802.11i-2004 standards to provide comprehensive protection against both management frame tampering and data frame interception. Additional defensive measures include implementing wireless intrusion detection systems that can monitor for unusual deauthentication patterns and deploying network segmentation strategies to limit the impact of potential attacks. Organizations should also establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous wireless traffic patterns that may indicate deauthentication attacks, as recommended in NIST SP 800-48 guidelines for wireless network security. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current wireless security standards and implementing layered security approaches that protect against both known and emerging threats in wireless environments.