# CVE-2026-18267: Kenwood DNR1007XR firmware update symlink arbitrary code execution

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18267-kenwood-dnr1007xr-firmware-update-symlink-arbitrary-code  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-20. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-18267 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.8 · Published 2026-08-20

Kenwood DNR1007XR is a navigation and multimedia receiver used in vehicles. A vulnerability in its firmware update process allows an attacker with physical access to the device to execute code with root privileges by creating a symbolic link, potentially compromising vehicle systems and operations.

Technologies: [Kenwood DNR1007XR](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/dnr1007xr). Vendors: [Kenwood](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/kenwood).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-18267 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-18267 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-18267?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.8, published 20 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Kenwood DNR1007XR Affected versions prior to 2026-08-20 firmware update.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-18267?** A patch was published on 2026-07-29: Firmware update released Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-18267 attacked?** It is attacked with physical access.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-18267?** Check whether you run Kenwood DNR1007XR at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

This is a symlink-following vulnerability in the firmware update process of the Kenwood DNR1007XR receiver. The flaw allows an unauthenticated, physically present attacker to abuse the update service by creating a symbolic link, enabling arbitrary file movement to locations of attacker control. By leveraging this primitive, an attacker can execute arbitrary code in the root security context. Physical access to the device is required; no authentication is needed. Kenwood released a firmware update addressing this issue, as documented on their firmware update page.

## Affected products

- Kenwood DNR1007XR Affected versions prior to 2026-08-20 firmware update

## Timeline

- 2026-02-03: disclosed: Vulnerability reported to vendor
- 2026-07-29: patched: Firmware update released
- 2026-07-29: advisory: ZDI-26-484 advisory published

## References

- [https://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/mm/firmware/2020/2020f/eng.html](https://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/mm/firmware/2020/2020f/eng.html)
- [https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-484/](https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-484/)

## Related threats

- [Kenwood DNR1007XR USB incorrect default permissions privilege escalation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18273-kenwood-dnr1007xr-usb-incorrect-default-permissions-privilege)
- [Kenwood DNR1007XR command injection in startUpdateProcess](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18272-kenwood-dnr1007xr-command-injection-in-startupdateprocess)
- [Kenwood DNR1007XR vCardParser heap buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18271-kenwood-dnr1007xr-vcardparser-heap-buffer-overflow)
- [Kenwood DNR1007XR udhcpd privilege escalation via incorrect permissions](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18270-kenwood-dnr1007xr-udhcpd-privilege-escalation-via-incorrect)
- [Kenwood DNR1007XR out-of-bounds write in tchdr_bytestream_read](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18269-kenwood-dnr1007xr-out-of-bounds-write-in-tchdr-bytestream-read)