CVE-2024-7832: D-Link DNS Series Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2024-7832 Overview

CVE-2024-7832 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting a broad range of end-of-life D-Link network-attached storage (NAS) devices running firmware up to 20240814. The flaw resides in the cgi_get_fullscreen_photos function within /cgi-bin/photocenter_mgr.cgi, where manipulation of the user argument triggers a memory corruption condition [CWE-120]. Attackers can exploit this issue remotely over the network with low privileges. D-Link has confirmed the affected products are end-of-life and will not receive patches. A public disclosure describing the exploit path is available, increasing exposure risk for internet-facing devices.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low privileges can trigger a buffer overflow in the photocenter_mgr.cgi handler, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution on unsupported D-Link NAS appliances that will not receive vendor fixes.

Affected Products

D-Link DNS-120, DNR-202L, DNS-315L, DNS-320, DNS-320L, DNS-320LW (firmware up to 20240814)
D-Link DNS-321, DNR-322L, DNS-323, DNS-325, DNS-326, DNS-327L, DNR-326 (firmware up to 20240814)
D-Link DNS-340L, DNS-343, DNS-345, DNS-726-4, DNS-1100-4, DNS-1200-05, DNS-1550-04 (firmware up to 20240814)

Discovery Timeline

2024-08-15 - CVE-2024-7832 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7832

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic buffer overflow [CWE-120] in the cgi_get_fullscreen_photos function exposed by /cgi-bin/photocenter_mgr.cgi. The handler processes the user argument from an HTTP request without enforcing sufficient bounds on the input length. When an attacker supplies an oversized value, the copy operation writes past the destination buffer boundary in memory.

Because the affected devices are consumer and small-business NAS appliances, they typically lack modern mitigations such as robust address space layout randomization or stack canaries. This increases the practical risk that a buffer overflow escalates into arbitrary code execution rather than a simple crash.

D-Link has confirmed these products are end-of-life. No firmware patch will be issued, so exposed devices remain permanently vulnerable.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation and unchecked memory copy operations on the user parameter inside cgi_get_fullscreen_photos. The CGI binary trusts attacker-controlled request data and copies it into a fixed-size stack or heap buffer without length verification.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs remotely over the network by sending a crafted HTTP request to /cgi-bin/photocenter_mgr.cgi with an oversized user parameter. Low-level authenticated access to the web management interface is required. Successful exploitation corrupts adjacent memory and can be leveraged to hijack control flow within the CGI process. Technical details of the request structure are documented in the GitHub PoC Repository.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7832

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP POST or GET requests to /cgi-bin/photocenter_mgr.cgi containing abnormally long user parameter values.
Unexpected crashes, restarts, or hung processes in the NAS web management daemon.
Outbound network connections from the NAS to unfamiliar hosts following requests to photocenter_mgr.cgi.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server and reverse-proxy logs for requests targeting photocenter_mgr.cgi with user parameter lengths exceeding expected bounds.
Deploy network intrusion detection signatures that flag oversized query string parameters directed at D-Link NAS management URIs.
Correlate NAS device telemetry with authentication anomalies to identify credential abuse preceding exploitation.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor all inbound traffic to NAS management interfaces and alert on access from outside trusted administrative subnets.
Track unusual process behavior on the NAS, including shell invocations spawned from CGI handlers.
Log and review all administrative sessions on legacy D-Link storage appliances until they are decommissioned.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7832

Immediate Actions Required

Retire and replace affected D-Link NAS devices; the vendor has confirmed they are end-of-life and will not be patched.
Remove the devices from any internet-facing network segments and block inbound access from untrusted networks.
Restrict access to /cgi-bin/photocenter_mgr.cgi through an upstream reverse proxy or firewall until decommissioning is complete.

Patch Information

No patch is available. D-Link's security publication SAP10383 confirms these products are end-of-life and recommends retirement and replacement with a currently supported storage platform.

Workarounds

Isolate affected NAS devices on a segmented VLAN with strict ACLs limiting access to a small set of administrative hosts.
Disable remote management and any port-forwarding rules that expose the device web interface to the internet.
Rotate all local NAS credentials and enforce strong, unique passwords to reduce the risk of low-privilege exploitation.

bash

# Example firewall rule to block external access to the vulnerable CGI endpoint
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m string --string "/cgi-bin/photocenter_mgr.cgi" --algo bm -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -m string --string "/cgi-bin/photocenter_mgr.cgi" --algo bm -j DROP