CVE-2025-44962: Ruckus SmartZone Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-44962 Overview

CVE-2025-44962 is a directory traversal vulnerability in RUCKUS SmartZone (SZ) wireless LAN controllers before version 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build. An authenticated attacker can supply ../ sequences in file path parameters to read files outside the intended directory. The flaw is classified under CWE-24: Path Traversal: ../filedir and affects a broad range of CommScope RUCKUS access points, SmartZone controllers, virtual SmartZone deployments, and RUCKUS Network Director. Successful exploitation exposes configuration data, credentials stored on the filesystem, or other sensitive system files that support follow-on attacks against the wireless infrastructure.

Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker on the network can traverse the SmartZone filesystem using ../ sequences to read arbitrary files, exposing sensitive management-plane data across dozens of RUCKUS access point and controller models.

Affected Products

CommScope RUCKUS SmartZone firmware prior to 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build (including 6.1.2, 6.1.2p2, 7.0.0, 7.1.0)
CommScope RUCKUS Virtual SmartZone and Virtual SmartZone-Federal
CommScope RUCKUS SmartZone 100, 100-D, 144, 144-Federal, 300, 300-Federal controllers
CommScope RUCKUS access points including C110, E510, H320/H350/H510, M510, R320/R510/R560/R610/R710/R720/R730/R750, T310c/d/n/s, T350SE, T750, T750SE
CommScope RUCKUS Network Director

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-04 - CVE-2025-44962 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-44962

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a path traversal weakness in the SmartZone management interface. RUCKUS SmartZone accepts file path parameters through its network-facing interface but fails to canonicalize or reject relative path sequences such as ../ before resolving the request against the filesystem. As a result, an attacker who is already authenticated to the controller can escape the intended file directory and read files elsewhere on the appliance.

Disclosure of internal files on a wireless LAN controller has downstream impact. SmartZone acts as the central management plane for RUCKUS access points, so exposed data may include configuration exports, credential material, certificates, or diagnostic bundles that support lateral movement. The scope is unchanged and integrity and availability are not directly affected.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation on file path parameters processed by SmartZone. The application does not normalize the requested path or restrict resolution to an allow-listed base directory, which permits ../ segments to traverse parent directories. This is a textbook CWE-24 implementation flaw.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is performed over the network against the SmartZone management interface. The attacker must hold valid low-privileged credentials on the controller. Once authenticated, they submit a request containing a file parameter with ../ sequences that resolve to files outside the intended directory. No user interaction on the victim side is required. Refer to the Claroty Team82 disclosure for CVE-2025-44962 and CERT/CC Vulnerability Note #613753 for additional technical context.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently listed in Exploit-DB, and the vulnerability is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-44962

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP or HTTPS requests to SmartZone management endpoints containing ../, ..%2f, ..%5c, or double-encoded traversal sequences in query strings or POST bodies
Requests attempting to reference sensitive Linux paths such as /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, /var/log/, or SmartZone configuration directories
Successful file read responses to authenticated sessions that do not correspond to expected administrative workflows
Access from user accounts that normally do not perform file export or diagnostic operations

Detection Strategies

Enable and centralize SmartZone administrative and web-access logs, then alert on request paths containing traversal patterns
Correlate authenticated sessions with anomalous file-read volume or reads outside normal working hours
Baseline expected API and web calls made by legitimate SmartZone administrators, then flag deviations involving file or download endpoints
Deploy web application firewall or IPS signatures that block ../ and encoded variants against the SmartZone management VLAN

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward SmartZone syslog and management-interface audit logs to a central SIEM or data lake for retention and query
Monitor authentication logs for low-privileged accounts issuing file-related API requests
Alert on any external or non-management-network source attempting to reach the SmartZone administrative interface
Review CommScope advisories and the CommScope Security Advisory FAQ ID 20250710 for updated indicators

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-44962

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade RUCKUS SmartZone to version 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build or later per CommScope guidance
Restrict SmartZone management interface access to a dedicated management VLAN and jump hosts using firewall rules
Rotate SmartZone administrator credentials and any credentials, keys, or certificates that may have been readable from the appliance filesystem
Audit SmartZone account inventory and remove unused or over-privileged accounts that could be leveraged to reach the vulnerable endpoint

Patch Information

CommScope has released fixed firmware. Administrators should install RUCKUS SmartZone 6.1.2p3 Refresh Build or a later fixed release across all controllers, virtual SmartZone instances, and RUCKUS Network Director deployments. Refer to the CommScope Security Advisory FAQ ID 20250710 and the CERT/CC advisory VU#613753 for the authoritative fix matrix.

Workarounds

Block untrusted networks from reaching the SmartZone management interface using upstream firewall or ACL rules
Enforce multi-factor authentication on SmartZone administrative accounts where supported
Deploy a web application firewall in front of the management interface with rules that reject traversal sequences and encoded variants
Restrict administrative access to named source IP addresses associated with the security operations team

bash

# Example: restrict SmartZone management access to a management subnet
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8443 -s 10.10.50.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8443 -j DROP

# Example WAF rule pattern (ModSecurity) to block traversal on management URIs
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@rx (\.\./|\.\.%2f|\.\.%5c)" \
    "id:1044962,phase:1,deny,status:403,log,msg:'CVE-2025-44962 traversal attempt'"