External risk intelligence

D-Link Router Command Injection Vulnerability

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2019-16920

The affected products are consumer and small office routers, which are designed to act as the primary internet gateway and bridge between public networks and private internal networks. Web-based management interfaces for these devices are frequently reachable from the public internet if misconfigured or exposed, and the vulnerability exists in a gateway interface function.

OS Command Injection

Dlink Dir 655 Firmware

3.02b05 and earlier1.03b04 and earlier1.01 and earlier

Halo Surface Signal: 5 out of 5 — more likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

Certain D-Link routers are affected by a vulnerability that allows for remote code execution. This flaw occurs when an attacker sends specific input to a device's gateway interface, potentially leading to a command injection. Successful exploitation can grant an attacker full control over the affected system.

  • Vulnerable D-Link routers
  • Command injection weakness
  • Full system compromise

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An unauthenticated attacker can compromise D-Link routers by exploiting a command injection vulnerability. This occurs when an attacker sends arbitrary input to a device's common gateway interface, specifically targeting a "PingTest" function. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to gain full system control.

  • Exposure condition: Network accessible device interface.
  • Attacker starting point: Unauthenticated network access.
  • Trigger and result: Arbitrary input triggers command injection, leading to system compromise.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely on D-Link routers. Successful exploitation can lead to a complete compromise of the affected system. The vulnerability exists within a device management interface that can be accessed over the network.

  • Attackers with low skill can exploit it.
  • No special access or conditions are required.
  • Business risk is high; treat as urgent.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

A critical vulnerability in specific D-Link router models allows for unauthenticated remote code execution, potentially leading to full system compromise. This command injection vulnerability exists in the "PingTest" device common gateway interface. Organizations utilizing these D-Link products should take immediate steps to identify affected assets, reduce exposure, apply vendor fixes if available, validate the effectiveness of those fixes, and monitor for related security events.

  • Identify affected D-Link router models.
  • Isolate exposed devices or restrict access.
  • Apply vendor firmware updates.
  • Verify fix implementation.
  • Monitor network for suspicious activity.

Supplementary metadata

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

Frequently asked questions

What D-Link routers are affected by CVE-2019-16920, a critical command injection vulnerability?

CVE-2019-16920 affects several D-Link router models, including DIR-655C, DIR-866L, DIR-652, DHP-1565, DIR-855L, DAP-1533, DIR-862L, DIR-615, DIR-835, and DIR-825. The vulnerability allows for unauthenticated remote code execution.

How does the command injection vulnerability (CVE-2019-16920) in D-Link routers work?

This vulnerability, classified as CWE-78 (improper neutralization of special elements used in a system command), occurs when an attacker sends arbitrary input to the "PingTest" function within the device's common gateway interface. This can lead to command injection, enabling an attacker to execute commands with full system privileges.

What is the attack path for CVE-2019-16920, and can its scope be limited?

The attack path for CVE-2019-16920 involves unauthenticated network access to a D-Link router's management interface. The scope is limited to the affected router itself, as successful exploitation grants full system compromise of that device. The vulnerability is accessible over the network (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L) and no privileges required (PR:N).

What is the significance of CVE-2019-16920 being on the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog?

CVE-2019-16920's inclusion on the CISA KEV catalog signifies that it has been actively exploited in the wild. This critical command injection vulnerability in D-Link routers poses a significant risk and requires immediate attention to mitigate potential damage, especially since it has been listed with a high EPSS score indicating a strong likelihood of exploitation.

What actions should be taken to respond to the D-Link router command injection vulnerability (CVE-2019-16920)?

Organizations should first identify all affected D-Link router models within their environment. Due to the critical nature and end-of-life status of many affected devices, disconnecting them from the network if still in use is recommended. If replacements are not immediately available, isolate exposed devices and restrict access. Monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity related to command injection is also crucial.

References