Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in the Edimax EW-7438RPn Wi-Fi extender that allows an attacker to execute unauthorized commands on the device. By sending a specially crafted web request to the device's setup interface, an attacker could gain control over the hardware, potentially disrupting internet connectivity or monitoring network traffic. This issue is particularly concerning as technical details and exploit methods are publicly available, and the manufacturer has not yet released a fix.
Technical details
A command injection vulnerability exists in the Edimax EW-7438RPn firmware version 1.12. The flaw is located within the 'formEZCHNwlanSetup' function in the '/goform/formEZCHNwlanSetup' endpoint, which handles POST requests. An attacker can manipulate the 'method' argument to inject and execute arbitrary shell commands on the underlying operating system. While the attack requires network reachability and low-level authentication (PR:L), the availability of public exploit code increases the risk of exploitation. As of the advisory date, the vendor has not responded to disclosure attempts, and no official patch is available.
Affected products
- Edimax EW-7438RPn 1.12
Timeline
- 2026-05-24: advisory: Initial disclosure by VulDB and NVD
- 2026-05-24: disclosed: Exploit code made public