CVE-2024-40750
📋 TL;DR
Linksys Velop Pro 6E and 7 routers transmit Wi-Fi passwords in unencrypted plaintext over the internet during initial setup via the mobile app. This exposes network credentials to potential interception by attackers on the network path. All users of affected router models performing app-based setup are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linksys Velop Pro 6E MX6200
- Linksys Velop 7
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers intercepting the transmission could obtain the Wi-Fi password, gain unauthorized network access, conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, and potentially compromise connected devices.
Likely Case
Network sniffers or ISP-level monitoring could capture the password, leading to unauthorized Wi-Fi access and network reconnaissance.
If Mitigated
With encryption in transit, passwords remain protected even if transmission occurs; risk limited to other vulnerabilities.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires intercepting network traffic between router and Linksys servers during setup; no authentication needed for the vulnerable transmission itself.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: Not available
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Monitor Linksys for firmware updates addressing CWE-312.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid App-Based Setup
allPerform router setup manually via web interface instead of using the mobile app to prevent cleartext transmission.
Change Wi-Fi Password
allIf already set up via app, change the Wi-Fi password manually to mitigate potential exposure.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Use wired connection for initial setup to reduce exposure over Wi-Fi
- Monitor network for unusual traffic to/from Linksys servers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check router firmware version in admin interface; if using affected versions and app-based setup was used, assume vulnerable.Check Version:
Log into router admin panel (typically http://192.168.1.1) and navigate to firmware/version section.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware is updated to a version later than those listed; check vendor advisories for fix confirmation.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual outbound traffic to Linksys domains during setup
- Cleartext password strings in network logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP traffic containing password fields sent to Linksys servers without encryption
SIEM Query:
Not applicable; requires deep packet inspection capabilities.