CVE-2024-39603
Published: 14 January 2025
Summary
CVE-2024-39603 is a critical-severity Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121) 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 35.8% 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
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-39603 and associated with CWE-121, affects the wireless.cgi set_wifi_basic_mesh() functionality in the Wavlink AC3000 router running firmware version M33A8.V5030.210505. The flaw arises when processing a specially crafted HTTP request, enabling arbitrary command execution. This issue received 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), highlighting its critical severity due to network accessibility, low attack complexity, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts with a changed scope.
Exploitation requires an authenticated attacker with high privileges (PR:H) to send a malicious HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint. Upon successful triggering of the buffer overflow, the attacker can achieve arbitrary command execution on the device, potentially leading to full compromise of the router, including data exfiltration, further network pivoting, or persistent access.
Details on mitigation, patches, or workarounds are available in the Talos Intelligence advisory at https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2024-2042. Security practitioners should consult this reference for vendor-specific remediation guidance.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-38368
Vulnerability details
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the wireless.cgi set_wifi_basic_mesh() functionality of Wavlink AC3000 M33A8.V5030.210505. A specially crafted HTTP request can lead to arbitrary command execution. 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 HTTP handler (wireless.cgi) directly enables remote code execution on network-accessible router web interface.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
SI-10 requires validation of untrusted HTTP inputs to the wireless.cgi set_wifi_basic_mesh() function, directly preventing stack-based buffer overflows from specially crafted requests.
SI-16 enforces memory protections like stack canaries, ASLR, and DEP to block exploitation of the stack-based buffer overflow leading to arbitrary command execution.
SI-2 mandates timely flaw remediation, such as applying vendor patches for this specific buffer overflow vulnerability in the router firmware.