Zyxel EMG2926 Routers: code execution flaw under attack

What is affected

Zyxel EMG2926 Routers are the kind of equipment many homes and small offices run for years without touching: a router, camera or storage box. Attackers scan the internet for exposed units, and a hijacked one can spy on traffic or be enrolled in a botnet without any visible sign.

Zyxel EMG2926 routers contain a command injection vulnerability located in the diagnostic tools, specifically the nslookup function. A malicious user may exploit numerous vectors to execute malicious commands on the router, such as the ping_ip parameter to the expert/maintenance/diagnostic/nslookup URI.

What an attacker can do

This is a code execution flaw. It lets an attacker run their own commands or programs on the affected system. In practice that usually means taking it over: installing malware, stealing data or using it to reach other devices on the same network.

How it is reached

Over the internet or network

Access the attacker needs

A basic user account

Does the victim have to do something?

No, works without the victim doing anything

CISA records this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns: attackers use it to get in, then encrypt files and demand payment.

What to do

1. Check whether you own this device: look at the label on your router, camera or NAS, or open its admin page and note the model and firmware version.
2. Install the latest firmware from the manufacturer's support page or the device's own update menu.
3. If the manufacturer no longer releases updates for the model, replace it. An end-of-life device with an exploited flaw cannot be made safe.
4. Turn off remote administration from the internet unless you truly need it, and change the default admin password.

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor advisories and fixes

• zyxel.comwww.zyxel.com/global/en/support/security-advisories/zyxel-security-advisory-for-command-in
• zyxelguard.comwww.zyxelguard.com/Zyxel-EOL.asp

How urgent is it

CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on September 18, 2023, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by October 9, 2023, a deadline that has already passed. That deadline does not bind anyone else, but it shows how seriously the agency rates it.

The EPSS model estimates a 35% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 98% of all scored vulnerabilities.

Its CVSS severity score is 8.8 out of 10 (high), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.

Technical description

A command injection vulnerability was discovered on the Zyxel EMG2926 home router with firmware V1.00(AAQT.4)b8. The vulnerability is located in the diagnostic tools, specifically the nslookup function. A malicious user may exploit numerous vectors to execute arbitrary commands on the router, such as the ping_ip parameter to the expert/maintenance/diagnostic/nslookup URI.