CVE-2020-9054

Critical
9.8
0.05.010.0
Year
2020
Published
Mar 4, 2020
Known Affected Devices
1
CVSS Score
9.8

What is CVE-2020-9054?

Multiple ZyXEL network-attached storage (NAS) devices running firmware version 5.21 contain a pre-authentication command injection vulnerability, which may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable device. ZyXEL NAS devices achieve authentication by using the weblogin.cgi CGI executable. This program fails to properly sanitize the username parameter that is passed to it. If the username parameter contains certain characters, it can allow command injection with the privileges of the web server that runs on the ZyXEL device. Although the web server does not run as the root user, ZyXEL devices include a setuid utility that can be leveraged to run any command with root privileges. As such, it should be assumed that exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to remote code execution with root privileges. By sending a specially-crafted HTTP POST or GET request to a vulnerable ZyXEL device, a remote, unauthenticated attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code on the device. This may happen by directly connecting to a device if it is directly exposed to an attacker. However, there are ways to trigger such crafted requests even if an attacker does not have direct connectivity to a vulnerable devices. For example, simply visiting a website can result in the compromise of any ZyXEL device that is reachable from the client system. Affected products include: NAS326 before firmware V5.21(AAZF.7)C0 NAS520 before firmware V5.21(AASZ.3)C0 NAS540 before firmware V5.21(AATB.4)C0 NAS542 before firmware V5.21(ABAG.4)C0 ZyXEL has made firmware updates available for NAS326, NAS520, NAS540, and NAS542 devices. Affected models that are end-of-support: NSA210, NSA220, NSA220+, NSA221, NSA310, NSA310S, NSA320, NSA320S, NSA325 and NSA325v2

CVSS Vector Breakdown

CVSS 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV
Attack Vector
Network

Exploitable remotely over the network without requiring access to the local system.

AC
Attack Complexity
Low

No special conditions required. Exploit can be performed reliably and repeatedly.

PR
Privileges Required
None

No authentication required. Any anonymous user can exploit this vulnerability.

UI
User Interaction
None

No user interaction required. Exploit runs without any victim action.

S
Scope
Unchanged

Exploiting the vulnerability only affects the vulnerable component itself.

C
Confidentiality Impact
High

Complete loss of confidentiality. All data on the component may be exposed.

I
Integrity Impact
High

Complete loss of integrity. Attacker can modify any file or data on the component.

A
Availability Impact
High

Complete denial of service. The component becomes fully unavailable.

Known Affected Devices

FAQ

How severe is CVE-2020-9054?

CVE-2020-9054 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated as Critical. This is the highest severity level - immediate patching is strongly recommended.

What does the CVSS score mean for CVE-2020-9054?

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) rates vulnerability severity from 0.0 to 10.0. CVE-2020-9054 scores 9.8/10 (Critical). Scores 9.0–10.0 are Critical, 7.0–8.9 are High, 4.0–6.9 are Medium, and below 4.0 are Low.

Which devices are affected by CVE-2020-9054?

The list of devices confirmed to be affected by CVE-2020-9054 is shown in the "Affected Devices" section above. Check your firmware version against the vendor security advisory and apply the latest patch.

How do I fix or mitigate CVE-2020-9054?

Apply the latest firmware or software update from the vendor. Check the References section above for official advisories and patch notes. If no patch is available, consider disabling the affected feature or isolating the device from untrusted networks.