Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Several older D-Link DIR-series routers can be taken over remotely without a login. The vulnerable service.cgi path can pass attacker-controlled input to the operating system shell. For exposed devices, this is a device-compromise risk, especially because the models are described as no longer supported.
Executive priority
Prioritize immediately for any internet-facing or business-critical location using these routers. Unsupported perimeter devices with unauthenticated root command execution create a credible path to network foothold, traffic interception, or outage.
Technical view
CVE-2018-25115 is an unauthenticated command injection in service.cgi affecting listed D-Link DIR models, with EVENT=CHECKFW input passed to a shell without sanitization. The supplied record maps it to CWE-78 and CVSS 4.0 score 10.0, with root-level command execution described.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in legacy D-Link DIR-110, DIR-412, DIR-600, DIR-610, DIR-615, DIR-645, and DIR-815 deployments, especially devices reachable from the internet. The source bundle says affected version ranges may vary, so exact firmware impact needs vendor or asset-level confirmation.
Exploitation context
The supplied data says exploitation evidence was first observed by Shadowserver on 2025-08-21 UTC, but KEV is false. Public exploit references are listed, so defenders should treat exposed legacy devices as high-risk without relying on exploitation details.
Researcher notes
The supplied affected list has incomplete version precision and inconsistent inclusion of DIR-610 in the description versus affected array. Avoid over-scoping without device confirmation. Public exploit references exist, but this analysis intentionally excludes operational exploit details.
Mitigation direction
- Identify and remove affected D-Link DIR-series routers from internet exposure.
- Replace unsupported affected devices where feasible.
- Check D-Link guidance for any model-specific firmware or retirement recommendations.
- Restrict management access to trusted internal networks only.
- Monitor edge telemetry for unexpected requests to service.cgi.
Validation and detection
- Inventory D-Link DIR-series devices and confirm model and firmware version.
- Check whether device administration or service.cgi is reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review logs for suspicious service.cgi requests, especially around exposed routers.
- Confirm whether each device is supported under D-Link end-of-life policy.
- Track remediation status until affected devices are replaced or isolated.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-78: Command execution behavior lookup
Command injection weaknesses can lead defenders to review execution techniques and command interpreter telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-25115 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 10 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H——VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
10CriticalVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/Cr0n1c/dlink_shell_poc/blob/master/dlink_auth_rceCVE reference, VulnCheck · technical-description, exploit
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43496CVE reference, VulnCheck · exploit
- https://legacy.us.dlink.com/CVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- https://support.dlink.com/EndOfLifePolicy.aspxCVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/dlink-dir-rce-service-cgiCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.