Critical Zyxel Router Vulnerabilities Allow Remote Command Injection Attacks

Zyxel has urgently patched multiple high-severity vulnerabilities in its 4G LTE/5G NR CPE, DSL/Ethernet CPE, Fiber ONTs, Security Routers, and Wireless Extenders.

These flaws expose devices to denial-of-service (DoS) crashes and remote command injection, potentially allowing attackers to seize control.

The most alarming is CVE-2025-13942, a critical command injection bug with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8.

It affects the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) service, enabling unauthenticated remote exploitation if WAN access and UPnP are manually enabled configurations not enabled by default, but common in misconfigured home or small office setups.

CVE Vulnerability Breakdown

CVE IDSeverity (CVSS)Vulnerability TypeAttack VectorImpact
CVE-2025-13942Critical (9.8)Command InjectionRemote (UPnP)OS Command Execution
CVE-2025-13943HighCommand InjectionAuthenticated UserOS Command Execution
CVE-2026-1459High (7.2)Command InjectionAuthenticated AdminOS Command Execution
CVE-2025-11845 to 11848Medium (4.9)Null Pointer DereferenceAuthenticated AdminDenial-of-Service (DoS)

CVE-2025-13942 stems from improper input validation in UPnP’s SOAP handling. An attacker sends malformed SOAP requests over the WAN, injecting arbitrary OS commands without authentication.

This could lead to full router compromise, data exfiltration, or pivot attacks into local networks. CVSS metrics highlight its exploitability: Attack Complexity Low, Privileges Required None, User Interaction None.

Sibling flaws CVE-2025-13943 and CVE-2026-1459 require authenticated access at the user-level for the former, admin-level for the latter, but still enable command execution via crafted inputs in web interfaces. Note: Patches for CVE-2026-1459 arrive in March 2026.

Four medium-severity issues (CVE-2025-11845–11848) lurk in various CGI endpoints. Authenticated admins can trigger crashes by sending HTTP requests that dereference null pointers, causing service reboots or outages.

CVSS scores of 4.9 reflect low remote impact since WAN access is off by default, but compromised credentials amplify the threat.

Zyxel provides firmware for most models immediately; check the advisory for your device (e.g., NR5103, VMG Series).

Disable WAN management and UPnP unless essential. Use strong, unique admin passwords and monitor logs for anomalies.

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AnuPriya
AnuPriya
Any Priya is a cybersecurity reporter at Cyber Press, specializing in cyber attacks, dark web monitoring, data breaches, vulnerabilities, and malware. She delivers in-depth analysis on emerging threats and digital security trends.

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