CVE-2025-60696
📋 TL;DR
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Linksys RE7000 routers allows local attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability exists in the makeRequest.cgi binary's arplookup function when parsing ARP table data. Only users of Linksys RE7000 routers with the specific vulnerable firmware are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linksys RE7000
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker gains root privileges on the router, enabling persistent backdoor installation, network traffic interception, and lateral movement to connected devices.
Likely Case
Denial of service causing router crashes and network disruption, with potential for limited code execution in constrained environments.
If Mitigated
Isolated router with no local access prevents exploitation; network segmentation limits impact to single device.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to write to /proc/net/arp, which typically requires some level of system compromise first. Public PoC exists in GitHub repository.
🛠️ 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. If update available, download and install via router admin interface. 3. Reboot router after installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local access to router
allPrevent unauthorized local access to router administration and services
Disable CGI execution if not needed
linuxRemove execute permissions from makeRequest.cgi if not required for functionality
chmod -x /path/to/makeRequest.cgi
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment network to isolate router from untrusted devices
- Implement strict access controls to prevent local compromise of devices that could attack router
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check router firmware version in admin interface; if version is FW_v2.0.15_211230_1012, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check router web interface at 192.168.1.1 or use 'cat /proc/version' if you have shell accessVerify Fix Applied:
After firmware update, verify version is different from vulnerable version and test router functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual ARP table modifications
- Router crash/restart logs
- Failed CGI execution attempts
Network Indicators:
- Router becoming unresponsive
- ARP table anomalies
- Unexpected network traffic from router
SIEM Query:
source="router_logs" AND ("makeRequest.cgi" OR "arplookup" OR "ARP table corruption")