CVE-2023-25717: Ruckus Wireless Admin RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2023-25717 Overview

CVE-2023-25717 is a critical unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability affecting Ruckus Wireless Admin through version 10.4. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable Ruckus access points and controllers via specially crafted HTTP GET requests to the /forms/doLogin endpoint. This flaw exists due to improper input validation in the login form processing, enabling command injection through shell metacharacters in the username or password parameters.

This vulnerability has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild. The unauthenticated nature of this attack combined with the widespread deployment of Ruckus wireless infrastructure in enterprise environments makes this a particularly dangerous vulnerability.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can achieve complete system compromise on Ruckus wireless access points and controllers, potentially gaining persistent network access, intercepting wireless traffic, and pivoting to other network resources.

Affected Products

• Ruckus Wireless Admin through version 10.4
• Ruckus SmartZone AP firmware
• Ruckus Indoor Access Points (R310, R320, R350, R510, R550, R560, R610, R650, R710, R720, R730, R750, R760, R850, H320, H350, H500, H510, H550)
• Ruckus Outdoor Access Points (T300, T301n, T301s, T310c, T310d, T310n, T310s, T350c, T350d, T350se, T504, T610, T710, T710s, T750, T750se, T811-CM)
• Ruckus SmartZone Controllers (SZ-144, SZ-144-Federal, SZ100, SZ300, SZ300-Federal)
• Ruckus ZoneDirector Controllers (ZD1000, ZD1100, ZD1200, ZD3000, ZD5000)
• Ruckus Mobile Access Points (M510, M510-JP, E510, P300)
• Ruckus WiFi 6E/7 Access Points (Q410, Q710, Q910)

Discovery Timeline

• February 13, 2023 - CVE-2023-25717 published to NVD
• November 3, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-25717

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a classic command injection flaw in web-based network equipment management interfaces. The Ruckus Wireless Admin web interface fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the login form before passing it to system shell commands. When a user submits credentials through the /forms/doLogin endpoint, the login_username and password parameters are processed without adequate input validation.

The web application appears to construct shell commands that include user-supplied values directly, allowing attackers to break out of the intended command context using shell metacharacters such as $(), backticks, semicolons, or pipe characters. This enables execution of arbitrary operating system commands with the privileges of the web server process, which typically runs with elevated permissions on embedded network devices.

The attack requires no authentication whatsoever—an attacker simply needs network access to the device's management interface. Once exploited, the attacker gains code execution on the underlying Linux-based operating system of the Ruckus device, enabling complete device compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code, also known as Code Injection) in the login form handler. The application passes unsanitized user input directly to shell command execution functions, failing to escape or filter shell metacharacters. This allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands by embedding shell command substitution syntax within the login parameters.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed over the network via HTTP requests to the device's web management interface. The attacker crafts a malicious HTTP GET request to the /forms/doLogin endpoint, embedding shell commands within the password parameter using command substitution syntax.

A typical attack payload structure includes shell metacharacters like $(command) appended to or embedded within the password value. When the vulnerable application processes this input, the injected command is executed by the system shell. The demonstration payload in the CVE description shows the use of $(curl ...) syntax, indicating that attackers can use this to download and execute additional payloads, exfiltrate data, or establish reverse shells.

The attack flow involves:

1. Attacker identifies a Ruckus device with an exposed management interface
2. Attacker sends a crafted HTTP GET request with command injection payload
3. The vulnerable web application executes the injected command
4. Attacker achieves arbitrary code execution on the device

Since the management interface is often exposed on the local network segment, and in some cases on the internet, this vulnerability presents a significant attack surface. For more technical details on exploitation, refer to the Cybir Proof-of-Concept analysis.

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-25717

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP GET requests to /forms/doLogin containing shell metacharacters ($(), backticks, ;, |, &&) in URL parameters
• Web server logs showing login attempts with encoded or obfuscated command sequences in the username or password fields
• Unexpected outbound connections from Ruckus devices to external IP addresses or unusual DNS queries
• New or modified files in the device filesystem, particularly in /tmp or web directories
• Unauthorized processes running on Ruckus devices, especially shells, wget, curl, or nc (netcat)

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block HTTP requests containing command injection patterns targeting /forms/doLogin
• Deploy network intrusion detection signatures to identify exploitation attempts based on known payload patterns
• Monitor Ruckus device logs for failed or anomalous login attempts with suspicious parameter values
• Use network traffic analysis to detect unexpected outbound connections or data exfiltration from wireless infrastructure devices

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on Ruckus devices and forward logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and alerting
• Monitor for unexpected configuration changes, new user accounts, or modified access credentials on Ruckus infrastructure
• Implement network segmentation monitoring to detect lateral movement attempts originating from compromised wireless infrastructure
• Conduct regular vulnerability scanning of Ruckus devices to identify unpatched systems exposed to this vulnerability

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-25717

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the vendor security patch immediately to all affected Ruckus Wireless products as detailed in the Ruckus Security Bulletin 315
• Restrict network access to device management interfaces using firewall rules and network segmentation
• Disable remote management access from untrusted networks, especially the internet
• Audit Ruckus devices for signs of compromise before and after patching

Patch Information

Ruckus Networks (now part of CommScope) has released security patches addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the official Ruckus Security Bulletin 315 for specific firmware versions that remediate CVE-2023-25717. The patch addresses the input validation flaw by properly sanitizing user-supplied input before processing it in shell commands.

Given that this vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, federal agencies are required to apply patches according to the binding operational directive timeline. All organizations should prioritize patching due to confirmed active exploitation.

Workarounds

• Implement network access control lists (ACLs) to restrict management interface access to authorized administrator IP addresses only
• Place Ruckus device management interfaces on isolated management VLANs inaccessible from general user networks
• Deploy a web application firewall or reverse proxy with input validation rules in front of management interfaces if direct patching is not immediately possible
• Disable HTTP management access and use SSH with key-based authentication where supported as an interim measure
• Monitor device behavior closely for signs of exploitation while awaiting maintenance windows for patching

# Example ACL configuration to restrict management access
# Apply on upstream firewall or switch to limit access to Ruckus management interface

# Allow management access only from trusted admin subnet
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.10.10.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 10.10.10.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP