CVE-2025-14093: Edimax BR-6478AC V3 Firmware RCE Flaw

CVE-2025-14093 Overview

A command injection vulnerability has been identified in the Edimax BR-6478AC V3 wireless router running firmware version 1.0.15. The vulnerability exists in the sub_416990 function within the /boafrm/formTracerouteDiagnosticRun endpoint, where improper handling of the host argument allows attackers to inject arbitrary operating system commands. This flaw can be exploited remotely by authenticated users with administrative privileges, potentially leading to full device compromise.

The vulnerability is particularly concerning for small office and home network environments where the affected Edimax router is deployed. The vendor was contacted regarding this disclosure but did not respond, leaving users without an official remediation path.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers with administrative access can execute arbitrary OS commands on the router, potentially gaining complete control over the device and pivoting to attack other network resources.

Affected Products

• Edimax BR-6478AC V3 Firmware version 1.0.15
• Edimax BR-6478AC V3 Hardware

Discovery Timeline

• December 5, 2025 - CVE-2025-14093 published to NVD
• December 11, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-14093

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command) and CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), both of which describe command injection flaws. The vulnerable function sub_416990 processes user-supplied input from the traceroute diagnostic feature without proper sanitization, allowing shell metacharacters to be injected and executed.

The traceroute diagnostic functionality is a common feature in consumer routers that allows administrators to test network connectivity. However, when the backend implementation passes the host parameter directly to system shell commands without adequate validation, attackers can append malicious commands using shell metacharacters such as semicolons, pipes, or backticks.

Exploitation requires administrative privileges on the router's web interface, which somewhat limits the attack surface. However, default credentials, credential reuse, or session hijacking could enable unauthorized access. Once exploited, an attacker could install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive network configuration, or use the compromised router as a launching point for further network attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and sanitization within the sub_416990 function. The traceroute diagnostic feature accepts user input through the host parameter and incorporates it into a system command without properly escaping or validating the input. This allows attackers to break out of the intended command context and inject arbitrary commands.

Firmware developers failed to implement proper input validation controls such as:

• Whitelisting acceptable characters (alphanumeric, dots, and hyphens for hostnames)
• Using parameterized command execution instead of shell interpolation
• Implementing strict input length and format validation

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted remotely over the network by sending a maliciously crafted HTTP request to the /boafrm/formTracerouteDiagnosticRun endpoint. The attacker must have valid administrative credentials to access this functionality.

The exploitation mechanism involves manipulating the host parameter to include shell command separators followed by malicious commands. For example, an attacker could inject commands to download and execute malicious payloads, modify router configurations, or establish reverse shells for persistent access.

Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the GitHub PoC Repository and the VulDB entry #334483.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14093

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual outbound connections from the router to unknown external IP addresses
• Unexpected processes running on the router device that are not part of normal firmware operation
• Modified router configuration files or unauthorized firewall rule changes
• HTTP access logs showing requests to /boafrm/formTracerouteDiagnosticRun with suspicious host parameter values containing shell metacharacters

Detection Strategies

• Monitor HTTP traffic to the router's web interface for requests containing shell metacharacters (;, |, $(), backticks) in the host parameter
• Implement network intrusion detection rules to identify command injection patterns targeting the /boafrm/formTracerouteDiagnosticRun endpoint
• Review router access logs for repeated authentication attempts or unusual administrative access patterns
• Deploy network segmentation to isolate IoT and router management interfaces from general network traffic

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable and centralize logging for router administrative access if supported by the device
• Monitor for DNS queries or network connections to known malicious infrastructure originating from the router's IP address
• Implement alerting for any configuration changes made to the router outside of scheduled maintenance windows
• Conduct periodic firmware integrity checks if the device supports such functionality

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14093

Immediate Actions Required

• Change default administrative credentials to strong, unique passwords immediately
• Restrict access to the router's administrative interface to trusted IP addresses only
• Disable remote management access from the WAN interface if enabled
• Place the router management interface on a segregated network segment accessible only to authorized administrators
• Consider replacing the affected device with a supported alternative if no patch becomes available

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no official patch is available from Edimax. The vendor was contacted regarding this disclosure but did not respond. Users should monitor Edimax's official support channels for firmware updates. Additional information can be found through VulDB CTI ID #334483.

Workarounds

• Implement access control lists (ACLs) on upstream network devices to restrict access to the router's management interface
• Use a VPN or jump host to access router administration rather than exposing the interface directly
• Disable the traceroute diagnostic feature if possible through configuration options
• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) in front of the router management interface to filter malicious requests
• Consider firmware replacement with open-source alternatives such as OpenWrt if supported by the hardware

# Example: Restrict management access using upstream firewall
# Block external access to router management interface
iptables -A FORWARD -d 192.168.1.1 -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -d 192.168.1.1 -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# Allow only trusted admin workstation
iptables -I FORWARD -s 192.168.1.100 -d 192.168.1.1 -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT