Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in the Trendnet TEW-657BRM wireless router, a device used to provide internet connectivity and networking for homes and small offices. An attacker could exploit this flaw to take control of the device or cause it to crash, potentially leading to unauthorized access to the network or a total loss of internet service. Because this product reached its end-of-life in 2011, the manufacturer will not be releasing a security patch, and users are advised to replace the hardware.
Technical details
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the 'update_pcdb' function within the '/setup.cgi' file of Trendnet TEW-657BRM firmware version 1.00.1. The root cause is the unsafe use of the 'strcpy' function when processing the 'mac_pc_dba' HTTP POST parameter, which fails to validate the length of user-supplied input before copying it to a fixed-size stack buffer. A remote attacker with low-level authentication can exploit this by sending a specially crafted POST request to trigger the overflow. This can lead to arbitrary code execution or a device crash (DoS). The vendor has stated the product is end-of-life (EOL) as of 2011 and no patch will be provided.
Affected products
- Trendnet TEW-657BRM 1.00.1
Timeline
- 2011-06-23: other: Product reached End-of-Life (EOL) status
- 2026-04-02: disclosed: Initial disclosure and public release of exploit code
- 2026-04-02: advisory