CVE-2025-39240: Hikvision Wireless Access Point RCE Flaw

CVE-2025-39240 Overview

CVE-2025-39240 is an authenticated remote command execution vulnerability affecting certain Hikvision Wireless Access Point devices. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation in the device's command handling logic. Attackers with valid credentials can send crafted packets containing malicious commands to vulnerable devices. Successful exploitation leads to arbitrary command execution on the underlying operating system.

The weakness is classified under [CWE-78] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. The vulnerability is network-exploitable and requires high privileges but no user interaction. It impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected access points.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary operating system commands on affected Hikvision Wireless Access Points, allowing full device compromise and potential lateral movement into the connected network.

Affected Products

Hikvision Wireless Access Point devices (specific models listed in the vendor advisory)
Refer to the Hikvision Security Advisory for the authoritative list of impacted firmware versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-13 - CVE-2025-39240 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-04-15 - Last updated in the NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-39240

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the request handling logic of affected Hikvision Wireless Access Point firmware. The device accepts authenticated requests that include parameters subsequently passed into operating system command execution routines. The firmware fails to sanitize or validate these inputs before constructing the underlying shell command.

An attacker authenticated to the management interface can embed shell metacharacters or chained commands inside crafted request packets. The injected payload is concatenated into a system call, where the shell interprets it as additional commands. Execution typically occurs in the security context of the service handling the request, which on embedded devices is often a privileged account.

This class of weakness is tracked as [CWE-78] OS Command Injection. The exploit prediction score for this CVE is 1.135% with a percentile of 62.26, indicating measurable but not widespread active exploitation interest at the time of publication.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of strict input validation and the use of unsafe command construction patterns inside the device's web management or control plane. User-supplied fields are interpolated directly into shell invocations rather than passed as discrete arguments to safe execution APIs. No allowlist filtering or metacharacter escaping is applied before the command reaches the operating system.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the access point's management interface and valid administrative credentials. The attacker sends a crafted request, typically over HTTP or a proprietary management protocol, with shell metacharacters embedded in a parameter that the device passes to a system call. The device executes the injected command and returns control to the attacker. Compromised access points can be used to pivot into wireless client traffic, modify firmware, or stage further intrusions.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available at this time. For technical specifics, consult the Hikvision Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-39240

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected outbound connections originating from wireless access point management IP addresses
Management interface authentication events followed by anomalous configuration changes or firmware modifications
Unusual shell metacharacters such as ;, &&, |, or backticks appearing inside HTTP parameters in device logs
Creation of new administrative accounts or modification of existing credentials on the access point

Detection Strategies

Inspect HTTP and management protocol traffic to Hikvision access points for shell metacharacters in request parameters
Correlate authenticated administrative sessions with subsequent network behavior changes from the device
Compare running firmware hashes against vendor-published baselines to identify unauthorized modifications
Monitor for repeated failed authentication attempts followed by successful logins, indicating credential brute forcing

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward access point syslog and authentication events to a centralized logging platform for analysis
Alert on any administrative configuration change occurring outside maintenance windows
Track DNS queries and outbound connections from network segments hosting access points
Periodically audit administrative account inventory and rotate credentials on a defined schedule

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-39240

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the firmware updates referenced in the Hikvision security advisory to all affected wireless access points
Rotate all administrative credentials on affected devices, eliminating default and shared passwords
Restrict management interface access to a dedicated administrative VLAN or jump host
Inventory exposed Hikvision access points and remove any management interfaces reachable from untrusted networks

Patch Information

Hikvision has published remediation guidance and updated firmware in the Hikvision Security Advisory. Administrators should consult the advisory for the exact firmware versions corresponding to each affected model and follow the vendor's documented upgrade procedure.

Workarounds

Block access to the access point management interface from untrusted networks using upstream firewall rules
Enforce IP allowlisting for administrative access, limiting management to known operator workstations
Disable remote management features that are not strictly required for operations
Enable multi-factor authentication on any management gateway used to reach the devices, where supported

bash

# Example: restrict access point management interface to an administrative subnet
iptables -A FORWARD -s 10.10.50.0/24 -d <ap_management_ip> -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD -d <ap_management_ip> -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP