Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-0296

Command Injection in Totolink N200Re Firmware 9.3.5u.6139_b20201216

Published
08 January 2024
Modified
21 November 2024
CVSS Score v3.1 7.3
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
EPSS Score 0.038 89th percentile
Risk Priority 63 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-0296 is a high-severity OS Command Injection (CWE-78) vulnerability in Totolink N200Re Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 7.3 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 11% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

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

A vulnerability classified as critical has been identified in the Totolink N200RE router running firmware version 9.3.5u.6139_B20201216. It resides in the NTPSyncWithHost function within the /cgi-bin/cstecgi.cgi file, where improper handling of the host_time argument enables OS command injection, corresponding to CWE-78. The issue received a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.3 and can be triggered over the network without authentication.

Remote attackers can exploit the flaw by sending crafted requests that manipulate the host_time parameter, resulting in execution of arbitrary operating system commands on the device with impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. A public proof-of-concept has been released, and the vendor was notified prior to disclosure but provided no response.

No official patches or mitigation guidance appear in the referenced advisories. The EPSS score rose from lower values to a peak of 0.0656 on 2025-01-22 before receding to the current 0.0207, indicating a period of increased exploitation interest after public disclosure.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability has been found in Totolink N200RE 9.3.5u.6139_B20201216 and classified as critical. This vulnerability affects the function NTPSyncWithHost of the file /cgi-bin/cstecgi.cgi. The manipulation of the argument host_time leads to os command injection. The attack can be initiated remotely.…

more

The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. VDB-249862 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.

CWE(s)

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.
T1059.003 Windows Command Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution.
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
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.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-0298Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-0299Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-0297Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2025-7154Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-1001Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-1004Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-0999Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-0997Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-1002Same product: Totolink N200Re
CVE-2024-0998Same product: Totolink N200Re

Affected Assets

totolink
n200re firmware
9.3.5u.6139_b20201216

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

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation can discover missing or incorrect command sanitization during development.

Input validation directly neutralizes or rejects special characters that would otherwise alter OS command structure.

Least privilege reduces the permissions available to any process that could be subverted by injected commands.

Least functionality restricts available OS commands and interpreters, limiting the blast radius of injection.

Secure engineering principles require proper neutralization of untrusted input before command construction.

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.

finds

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

References