Cyber Resilience

CVE-2018-14558

RCE in Tenda Ac7 Firmware ≤ 15.03.06.44_cn

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRCECommand Injection
Published
30 October 2018
Modified
07 November 2025
KEV Added
03 November 2021
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.087 95th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2018-14558 is a critical-severity OS Command Injection (CWE-78) vulnerability in Tenda Ac7 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2018-14558 is an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) affecting Tenda AC7 routers running firmware up to V15.03.06.44_CN, AC9 routers up to V15.03.05.19(6318)_CN, and AC10 routers up to V15.03.06.23_CN. The flaw resides in the formsetUsbUnload function, which passes unsanitized input from a goform/setUsbUnload request directly to a dosystemCmd call, allowing arbitrary operating-system command execution.

Unauthenticated attackers with network access can exploit the issue by sending a crafted HTTP request to the affected endpoint. Successful exploitation grants full control over the device, enabling arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the web server process and resulting in complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts as reflected in the CVSS 9.8 base score.

The vulnerability is catalogued in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, confirming real-world exploitation. Public technical write-ups, including detailed proof-of-concept material on GitHub, document the request format and affected endpoints, underscoring the need for immediate firmware updates or network-level restrictions on administrative interfaces where patches are unavailable.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An issue was discovered on Tenda AC7 devices with firmware through V15.03.06.44_CN(AC7), AC9 devices with firmware through V15.03.05.19(6318)_CN(AC9), and AC10 devices with firmware through V15.03.06.23_CN(AC10). A command Injection vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands via a crafted goform/setUsbUnload…

more

request. This occurs because the "formsetUsbUnload" function executes a dosystemCmd function with untrusted input.

CWE(s)
CWE-78
KEV Date Added
03 November 2021

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.003 Windows Command Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2020-10987Same vendor: Tendaboth on KEV
CVE-2025-57639Same product: Tenda Ac9
CVE-2024-48825Same product: Tenda Ac7
CVE-2024-48826Same product: Tenda Ac7
CVE-2024-2897Same product: Tenda Ac7
CVE-2023-51100Same vendor: Tenda
CVE-2024-2851Same vendor: Tenda
CVE-2023-51099Same vendor: Tenda
CVE-2024-2854Same vendor: Tenda
CVE-2026-25857Same vendor: Tenda

Affected Assets

tenda
ac7 firmware
≤ 15.03.06.44_cn
tenda
ac9 firmware
≤ 15.03.05.19\(6318\)_cn
tenda
ac10 firmware
≤ 15.03.06.23_cn

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.2.5
  • V1.2.8
  • V15.2.5

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

SC-27 Platform-independent Applications
addresses: CWE-78

Platform-independent apps typically execute inside a managed runtime or sandbox that restricts direct OS command execution, reducing the ability to exploit OS command injection.

SI-10 Information Input Validation
addresses: CWE-78

Validates inputs to block special elements that would alter OS command execution.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly require secure coding and input handling that blocks command-injection defects, yet the single broad outcome leaves many specific neutralization vectors and verification gaps unaddressed.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Routine patching/maintenance can remediate known command-injection CVEs in dependencies (partial forward) but does nothing to stop developers from introducing improper neutralization in custom code (none reverse).

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing and code review target insecure use of operating-system command interfaces, catching command-injection flaws introduced during development.

References