CVE-2024-48895 Overview
CVE-2024-48895 is an OS command injection vulnerability [CWE-78] affecting Rakuten Turbo 5G firmware version V1.3.18 and earlier. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements passed to operating system commands. A remote authenticated attacker can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary OS commands on the affected device. Successful exploitation grants attackers control over the router, enabling traffic interception, lateral movement into the connected network, and persistent compromise of the device firmware.
Critical Impact
An authenticated remote attacker can execute arbitrary OS commands on affected Rakuten Turbo 5G devices, resulting in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Affected Products
- Rakuten Turbo 5G firmware version V1.3.18
- Rakuten Turbo 5G firmware versions earlier than V1.3.18
- Rakuten Mobile Turbo 5G home router hardware running vulnerable firmware
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-11-20 - CVE-2024-48895 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-48895
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-78, Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. The Rakuten Turbo 5G firmware fails to sanitize user-supplied input before passing it to a system shell for execution. An authenticated attacker with access to the router's management interface can inject shell metacharacters into vulnerable parameters. These characters break out of the intended command context and append attacker-controlled commands to the executed process.
Because the router runs the command handler with elevated privileges, injected commands typically execute with root or equivalent authority. This gives attackers direct control over the underlying Linux-based firmware environment. The attack requires network reachability to the router's administrative interface and valid credentials, but no user interaction is needed.
Root Cause
The root cause is the direct concatenation of untrusted input into shell command strings without input validation or safe API usage. Vendor-supplied firmware routines invoke shell interpreters (for example, system() or backtick execution) using parameters received from authenticated HTTP requests. The absence of allowlist filtering or argument escaping allows shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, and ` to alter command semantics.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the router's administrative interface and valid low-privilege credentials. The attacker submits a crafted request to a vulnerable endpoint that forwards a parameter into a shell command. Attackers commonly target diagnostic endpoints such as ping, traceroute, or firmware update handlers, which frequently accept user-controlled arguments passed to system utilities. Refer to the JVN Security Advisory and the Rakuten Network Update for vendor-specific technical details.
// No verified public exploit code is available.
// The vulnerability class involves shell metacharacter injection
// into an authenticated management endpoint parameter.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-48895
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected outbound connections from the Rakuten Turbo 5G device to unknown external hosts
- Administrative HTTP requests containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, backticks, or $() in parameter values
- Anomalous authentication events on the router management interface followed by configuration changes
- New processes or persistent scripts written to router storage outside vendor firmware update cycles
Detection Strategies
- Inspect HTTP request logs on the router or upstream proxy for parameter values containing shell metacharacters
- Monitor DNS and NetFlow telemetry for outbound traffic from IoT and router IP ranges to non-standard destinations
- Correlate successful router logins with subsequent unusual outbound traffic patterns
Monitoring Recommendations
- Ingest router syslog and management-plane logs into a centralized SIEM for continuous review
- Alert on any administrative interface access from outside expected management networks
- Track firmware version inventory to identify devices still running V1.3.18 or earlier
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-48895
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Rakuten Turbo 5G firmware to the version released after V1.3.18 as instructed in the Rakuten Network Update
- Rotate all administrative credentials on affected devices immediately after patching
- Restrict access to the router administrative interface to trusted management hosts only
Patch Information
Rakuten Mobile released updated firmware addressing this vulnerability. Users should apply the latest available firmware update as documented in the vendor advisory. Details are provided in the JVN Security Advisory and the Rakuten Network Update.
Workarounds
- Disable remote administrative access to the router from untrusted networks
- Enforce strong, unique credentials for all administrative accounts on the device
- Segment the router onto a dedicated management VLAN with restricted inbound access
# Example: restrict router management interface access via firewall
# Replace 192.0.2.10 with your trusted management host
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 192.0.2.10 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -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.
