CVE-2026-75985 in TRENDnet
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
A flaw has been found in TRENDnet Router 1.1.02b01. The affected element is an unknown function of the file /cgi-bin/ping.cgi. This manipulation of the argument wan_type causes command injection. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been published and may be used.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The vulnerability identified in TRENDnet Router firmware version 1.1.02b01 represents a critical security flaw located within the ping.cgi script, specifically affecting an unknown function that processes the wan_type argument. This component is part of the router's Common Gateway Interface (CGI) infrastructure, which serves as the bridge between web-based administrative interfaces and underlying system commands. The core technical issue stems from improper input validation and sanitization mechanisms when handling user-supplied data for the wan_type parameter. Instead of strictly validating that the input conforms to expected values or escaping special characters effectively, the application passes this argument directly into a shell command execution context without adequate filtering. This architectural oversight allows an attacker to inject arbitrary operating system commands by manipulating the structure of the request payload.
From a technical perspective, this flaw is classified as Command Injection, which aligns with CWE-78 in the Common Weakness Enumeration standard. The vulnerability arises because the web server or CGI interpreter fails to distinguish between legitimate configuration data and malicious shell metacharacters such as semicolons, pipes, or backticks. When an attacker submits a crafted request containing these special characters within the wan_type field, the underlying system interprets them not as part of the network type identifier but as instructions for command execution. This allows the injection of additional commands that are executed with the privileges of the web server process, which on many embedded devices often includes root-level access or significant administrative capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its remote nature and the availability of public exploits. An attacker can initiate an attack from a distant location over the network without requiring any form of authentication if the router's management interface is exposed to untrusted networks, such as the internet. Even if local access is required, the ease of exploitation means that internal threat actors or compromised devices on the same LAN could leverage this flaw to gain full control over the device. Once exploited, an attacker can execute arbitrary commands, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This includes the ability to modify router configurations, install persistent malware such as botnet agents, intercept network traffic for man-in-the-middle attacks, and pivot into other devices on the internal network by mapping out the local infrastructure using injected reconnaissance commands.
This vulnerability maps directly to several tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK framework. It falls under Initial Access via Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190) as it leverages a flaw in an internet-facing component. The subsequent execution of arbitrary code aligns with Execution on Remote Systems, and if used for persistence or lateral movement, it relates to Defense Evasion and Lateral Movement techniques commonly seen in IoT botnet campaigns like Mirai. The lack of input validation is also indicative of CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, which serves as the root cause enabling the command injection vector.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The primary defense is to apply the vendor-provided firmware update that patches this specific flaw in the ping.cgi script if available for version 1.1.02b01 or later. If no patch exists, administrators should restrict access to the router's management interface by disabling remote administration features and ensuring it is only accessible from trusted internal networks behind a firewall. Additionally, implementing network segmentation can limit the blast radius of an exploit by isolating IoT devices from critical corporate assets. For organizations relying on this hardware where updates are unavailable, deploying web application firewalls with rules to detect and block command injection patterns in CGI parameters may provide partial protection against exploitation attempts until the device is replaced or upgraded.