CVE-2024-39294
Published: 14 January 2025
Summary
CVE-2024-39294 is a critical-severity Classic Buffer Overflow (CWE-120) vulnerability in Wavlink Wl-Wn533A8 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 9.1 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 29.8% 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 are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-16 (Memory Protection).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2024-39294 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the set_wzdgw4G() functionality of adm.cgi within the Wavlink AC3000 router running firmware version M33A8.V5030.210505. The issue arises from a specially crafted HTTP request that overflows the buffer, as documented in the CVE description published on 2025-01-14. It is classified under CWE-120 and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating critical severity due to its potential for severe impacts.
An attacker requires high-level privileges (PR:H) to authenticate and send a malicious HTTP request over the network (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L) and no user interaction (UI:N). Exploitation triggers the buffer overflow, enabling high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts (C:H/I:H/A:H) across a changed scope (S:C), potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or system compromise on the affected device.
Mitigation details are available in the Talos Intelligence advisory at https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2024-2026.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-38388
Vulnerability details
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the adm.cgi set_wzdgw4G() functionality of Wavlink AC3000 M33A8.V5030.210505. A specially crafted HTTP request can lead to stack-based buffer overflow. An attacker can make an authenticated HTTP request to trigger this vulnerability.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Stack buffer overflow in router web CGI (adm.cgi) directly enables remote exploitation of a public-facing application over HTTP, leading to RCE.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
SI-2 Flaw Remediation requires identifying, reporting, and patching the specific stack-based buffer overflow in adm.cgi set_wzdgw4G(), eliminating the vulnerability.
SI-10 Information Input Validation enforces checking and sanitizing specially crafted HTTP request inputs to adm.cgi, directly preventing buffer overflows.
SI-16 Memory Protection implements stack canaries, ASLR, and DEP to block exploitation of the buffer overflow even if invalid input reaches the vulnerable function.