CVE-2025-60690
📋 TL;DR
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Linksys E1200 v2 routers allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service without authentication. Attackers can exploit this by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable httpd binary. Only Linksys E1200 v2 routers running the affected firmware are impacted.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linksys E1200 v2
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with root privileges leading to complete device compromise, network infiltration, and persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Denial of service causing router crashes and network disruption, potentially requiring physical reset.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if device is behind firewall with restricted HTTP access, though still vulnerable to internal threats.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof of concept code is available on GitHub. The vulnerability requires no authentication and has straightforward exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://www.linksys.com/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check Linksys website for firmware updates
2. Download latest firmware for E1200 v2
3. Access router web interface
4. Navigate to firmware update section
5. Upload and apply new firmware
6. Reboot router after update
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Remote Management
allDisable web interface access from WAN/internet to prevent external exploitation
Network Segmentation
allIsolate router management interface to separate VLAN or restrict access to trusted IPs only
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Replace router with supported model that receives security updates
- Place router behind firewall that blocks all HTTP traffic to router IP
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check router firmware version in web interface under Administration > Firmware Upgrade. If version is E1200_v2.0.11.001_us or earlier, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
curl -s http://router-ip/ | grep -i firmware or check web interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
After firmware update, verify version number has changed from vulnerable version. Test HTTP requests with long parameter values to ensure no crashes.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple HTTP requests with unusually long parameter names ending in _0~3
- Router crash/reboot logs
- Web interface access logs showing buffer overflow patterns
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST/GET requests with parameter names ending in _0, _1, _2, _3 containing long values
- Traffic to router web interface from unexpected sources
SIEM Query:
source="router-logs" AND (http_uri="*_0=*" OR http_uri="*_1=*" OR http_uri="*_2=*" OR http_uri="*_3=*") AND bytes > 100