^{CVE-2020-15357:}Command Injection Vulnerability in Askey AP5100W Network Analysis Functionality

Overview

The vulnerability affects the Network Analysis functionality in Askey AP5100W WiFi mesh access points running firmware version 1.01.097 and all prior versions. The issue occurs because the application fails to properly sanitize user input in network diagnostic tools (ping, traceroute, and route options), allowing attackers to inject shell metacharacters that can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. This is a classic command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) that could lead to complete device compromise. An attacker with access to the device's administrative interface could exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to the device, modify configurations, establish persistence, or use the device as a pivot point to attack other systems on the network.

Remediation

1. Update to the latest firmware version provided by Askey that addresses this vulnerability.
2. If an update is not available, consider the following mitigations:
   • Restrict administrative access to the device to trusted networks only
   • Use strong, unique passwords for device administration
   • Implement network segmentation to isolate the vulnerable devices
   • Monitor network traffic to and from the affected devices for suspicious activity
   • Disable remote administration if not required
3. Regularly check the Askey website for security updates and advisories related to this vulnerability.
4. After applying updates, verify that the vulnerability has been patched by testing the network analysis functions with safe input validation.

References

1. Askey Vendor Advisory: https://www.askey.com.tw/incident_report_notifications.html
2. Detailed Exploit Analysis: https://medium.com/csg-govtech/bolstering-security-how-i-breached-a-wifi-mesh-access-point-from-close-proximity-to-uncover-f8f77dc3cd5d
3. Additional Security Advisories: https://starlabs.sg/advisories/
4. CWE-78: OS Command Injection: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/78.html