CVE-2025-10324: Wavlink WL-WN578W2 RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-10324 Overview

A command injection vulnerability has been identified in Wavlink WL-WN578W2 routers running firmware version 221110. The vulnerability exists in the sub_401C5C function within the firewall.cgi file, where improper handling of multiple firewall configuration parameters allows remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary system commands. The affected parameters include pingFrmWANFilterEnabled, blockSynFloodEnabled, blockPortScanEnabled, and remoteManagementEnabled.

This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing attackers to gain complete control over affected network devices. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, and the vendor was contacted about this issue but failed to respond.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable Wavlink WL-WN578W2 routers by manipulating firewall configuration parameters, potentially compromising the entire network infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Wavlink WL-WN578W2 Firmware version M78W2_V221110
• Wavlink WL-WN578W2 Hardware

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-09-12 - CVE-2025-10324 published to NVD
• 2025-10-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-10324

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a classic command injection flaw (CWE-77) stemming from improper neutralization of special elements used in a command (CWE-74). The firewall.cgi web interface component fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before passing it to system shell commands.

The vulnerable function sub_401C5C processes multiple firewall-related parameters that control various security features of the router. When these parameters are manipulated with malicious payloads containing shell metacharacters or command sequences, the router executes the injected commands with the privileges of the web server process, typically running as root on embedded Linux systems.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability, combined with the lack of authentication requirements, significantly increases the risk profile for organizations using these devices.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and sanitization in the firewall.cgi handler. The parameters pingFrmWANFilterEnabled, blockSynFloodEnabled, blockPortScanEnabled, and remoteManagementEnabled are passed directly to shell execution contexts without proper escaping or validation. This allows command separators (such as ;, |, or &&) and other shell metacharacters to break out of the intended command context and execute attacker-controlled commands.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the firewall.cgi endpoint on vulnerable Wavlink WL-WN578W2 routers. An attacker would construct a request containing malicious payloads in one or more of the vulnerable parameters.

The exploitation flow typically involves:

1. Identifying an exposed Wavlink WL-WN578W2 router on the network
2. Crafting an HTTP request to firewall.cgi with command injection payloads
3. Injecting shell commands through vulnerable parameters such as pingFrmWANFilterEnabled
4. Achieving arbitrary command execution on the underlying embedded Linux system

Due to the lack of authentication requirements, any network-adjacent or internet-exposed device is vulnerable to exploitation. Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available in the GitHub vulnerability disclosure repository.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-10324

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected HTTP requests to /firewall.cgi containing shell metacharacters (;, |, &&, $(), backticks) in parameter values
• Unusual outbound network connections from Wavlink router devices to unknown external hosts
• Evidence of unauthorized configuration changes or new user accounts on router devices
• Presence of unexpected processes running on the router or anomalous resource utilization

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to inspect and block requests to firewall.cgi containing command injection patterns
• Implement network intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures to identify exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2025-10324
• Monitor HTTP traffic to Wavlink devices for requests containing suspicious parameter values in firewall configuration endpoints
• Correlate authentication and access logs from network infrastructure devices for anomalous administrative activity

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging on network boundary devices and aggregate logs to a centralized SIEM platform
• Establish baseline network behavior for Wavlink devices and alert on deviations such as unexpected outbound connections
• Conduct regular firmware version audits across all Wavlink devices to identify vulnerable installations
• Implement network segmentation to isolate IoT and network infrastructure devices from critical assets

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-10324

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Wavlink WL-WN578W2 administrative interface to trusted IP addresses only
• Disable remote management features (remoteManagementEnabled) if not strictly required for operations
• Place vulnerable devices behind a firewall and ensure they are not directly exposed to the internet
• Consider replacing affected devices with alternatives from vendors with better security response practices

Patch Information

As of the last update on 2025-10-02, Wavlink has not provided a security patch for this vulnerability. The vendor was contacted during the disclosure process but did not respond. Organizations are advised to implement the workarounds below and monitor VulDB for any future updates regarding vendor response or patch availability.

Workarounds

• Implement strict network ACLs to limit access to the router's web interface to authorized management stations only
• Deploy an upstream firewall or reverse proxy that filters requests to firewall.cgi and blocks requests containing shell metacharacters
• Disable the web management interface entirely if CLI or other management methods are available
• Segment vulnerable devices onto isolated VLANs with restricted internet access to limit post-exploitation impact

# Example: iptables rules to restrict access to router management interface
# Apply on upstream firewall or router

# Allow management access only from trusted admin workstation
iptables -A FORWARD -d <ROUTER_IP> -p tcp --dport 80 -s <ADMIN_IP> -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD -d <ROUTER_IP> -p tcp --dport 443 -s <ADMIN_IP> -j ACCEPT

# Block all other access to management ports
iptables -A FORWARD -d <ROUTER_IP> -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -d <ROUTER_IP> -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP