Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-39780

RCE in Asus Rt-Ax55 Firmware 3.0.0.4.386.51598

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRCECommand Injection
Published
11 September 2023
Modified
31 October 2025
KEV Added
02 June 2025
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.34 98th percentile
Risk Priority 90 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-39780 is a high-severity OS Command Injection (CWE-78) vulnerability in Asus Rt-Ax55 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 2% 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-2023-39780 affects ASUS RT-AX55 routers running firmware 3.0.0.4.386.51598. The flaw is an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the web interface, specifically triggered when an authenticated user submits crafted input to the qos_bw_rulelist parameter of the /start_apply.htm endpoint. It carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8.

An attacker who has already obtained valid administrative credentials can send a malicious HTTP request over the network to execute arbitrary operating-system commands on the device. Successful exploitation grants the attacker full control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the router, enabling actions such as configuration changes, traffic interception, or persistence mechanisms.

The supplied references consist of detailed technical write-ups hosted on GitHub; none of them describe vendor patches, firmware updates, or official mitigation steps. The EPSS score has remained flat at its observed peak of 0.47 with no indicated rise after disclosure.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

On ASUS RT-AX55 3.0.0.4.386.51598 devices, authenticated attackers can perform OS command injection via the /start_apply.htm qos_bw_rulelist parameter. NOTE: for the similar "token-generated module" issue, see CVE-2023-41345; for the similar "token-refresh module" issue, see CVE-2023-41346; for the similar "check token module"…

more

issue, see CVE-2023-41347; and for the similar "code-authentication module" issue, see CVE-2023-41348.

CWE(s)
CWE-78
KEV Date Added
02 June 2025

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-2023-41347Same product: Asus Rt-Ax55
CVE-2023-41346Same product: Asus Rt-Ax55
CVE-2023-41345Same product: Asus Rt-Ax55
CVE-2023-41348Same product: Asus Rt-Ax55
CVE-2023-38031Same vendor: Asus
CVE-2023-39237Same vendor: Asus
CVE-2023-28702Same vendor: Asus
CVE-2023-39236Same vendor: Asus
CVE-2023-38032Same vendor: Asus
CVE-2023-38033Same vendor: Asus

Affected Assets

asus
rt-ax55 firmware
3.0.0.4.386.51598

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