CVE-2024-25852 Overview
CVE-2024-25852 is a command injection vulnerability in the Linksys RE7000 Wi-Fi range extender. The flaw exists in the access control function, specifically in the handling of the AccessControlList parameter. An adjacent-network attacker can inject shell commands through this parameter and obtain device administrator rights. The vulnerability affects firmware versions 2.0.9, 2.0.11, and 2.0.15. It maps to [CWE-284] Improper Access Control.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants full administrative control of the RE7000, enabling traffic interception, persistent backdoors, and lateral movement into the adjacent wireless network.
Affected Products
- Linksys RE7000 firmware version 2.0.9
- Linksys RE7000 firmware version 2.0.11
- Linksys RE7000 firmware version 2.0.15
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-04-11 - CVE-2024-25852 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-25852
Vulnerability Analysis
The Linksys RE7000 exposes an access control configuration endpoint that accepts a client list through the AccessControlList parameter. The device passes this parameter into a system shell without sanitizing metacharacters. An attacker on the same wireless segment can supply crafted input containing shell operators such as backticks, semicolons, or $() to execute arbitrary commands as the web service user, which runs with root privileges on this class of embedded device.
Because the attack vector is Adjacent Network, an attacker must be associated with the same Wi-Fi network or an upstream LAN segment. No prior authentication is required to reach the vulnerable code path, and no user interaction is needed.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing input validation on a user-supplied parameter that is concatenated into a command string. The firmware trusts values sent to the access control endpoint and forwards them directly to a shell interpreter. This pattern is common in consumer networking devices where web configuration handlers wrap BusyBox utilities such as iptables or ebtables.
Attack Vector
An attacker sends an HTTP request to the RE7000 administration interface with a malicious AccessControlList value. The injected payload breaks out of the intended argument context and executes attacker-controlled commands. Detailed proof-of-concept walkthroughs are available in the GitHub Vulnerability Report and the Notion Command Injection Analysis.
The EPSS model rates this vulnerability in the top percentile for likelihood of exploitation activity, reflecting the low technical barrier to weaponization.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-25852
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected outbound connections originating from the RE7000 management IP to internet hosts.
- Configuration changes to the access control list that contain shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, or backticks.
- New or modified /tmp files on the device or unexplained restarts of the httpd service.
- Rogue DNS or DHCP behavior on the wireless segment served by the extender.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect HTTP requests to the RE7000 admin interface for the AccessControlList parameter carrying non-MAC-address content.
- Alert when management traffic to the extender originates from wireless clients rather than administrator workstations.
- Correlate firmware version fingerprints (2.0.9, 2.0.11, 2.0.15) with any inbound configuration write operations.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable syslog forwarding from the extender and adjacent Wi-Fi infrastructure to a central log store.
- Capture packet metadata on the SSID serving the RE7000 to identify unauthorized association followed by admin-interface access.
- Baseline the extender's outbound flows so any deviation from vendor and NTP endpoints triggers review.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-25852
Immediate Actions Required
- Isolate the RE7000 on a management VLAN and block client-to-management access at the wireless controller.
- Disable remote administration and restrict the admin interface to a trusted wired host.
- Rotate the device administrator password and any Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) pre-shared keys that may have been exposed.
- Audit downstream clients for signs of interception or credential capture.
Patch Information
No vendor patch is listed in the NVD advisory or the referenced technical write-ups. Operators should monitor the Linksys support portal for firmware releases superseding 2.0.15 and apply updates as soon as they are published. Where a fixed firmware is unavailable, retiring the device is the most reliable remediation.
Workarounds
- Replace the RE7000 with a supported extender or mesh node when a fixed firmware is not available.
- Place the extender behind a segmented SSID that has no route to internal corporate resources.
- Enforce strong WPA2 or WPA3 credentials to limit adjacent-network access to trusted users.
- Disable the web administration interface between change windows if the firmware permits it.
# Example: restrict RE7000 management interface at an upstream firewall
# Replace 192.0.2.10 with the extender IP and 192.0.2.5 with the admin workstation
iptables -A FORWARD -d 192.0.2.10 -p tcp --dport 80 -s 192.0.2.5 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD -d 192.0.2.10 -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -d 192.0.2.10 -p tcp --dport 443 -s 192.0.2.5 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD -d 192.0.2.10 -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
