Game Acceleration Module Vulnerability Exposes Netgear Routers to Attacks

Multiple Netgear router models are vulnerable to arbitrary code execution via FunJSQ, a third-party module for online game acceleration, European security and compliance assessment company Onekey warns.

Integrated in various Netgear routers and Orbi WiFi systems, the gaming optimization module is developed by China-based Xiamen Xunwang Network Technology.

What Onekey has discovered is that the FunJSQ module has an insecure update process with only superficial checks of the update packages received from the server: packages are unsigned and are validated on the device using a hash checksum only.

The module lacks secure communication for the update process, allowing an attacker to tamper with data returned from the server, and package contents are extracted to the root folder with elevated privileges, this allowing an attacker with control over the update package to overwrite anything on the device.

“All of these combined can lead to arbitrary code execution from the WAN interface,” Onekey notes.

Two CVE identifiers were issued for the discovered vulnerabilities, namely CVE-2022-40619 (unauthenticated command injection) and CVE-2022-40620 (insecure update mechanism).

Netgear was informed of the security holes in June and has released a first set of patches for the vulnerable devices this month.

“Netgear is aware of vulnerabilities in FunJSQ, a third-party module integrated on some routers and Orbi WiFi Systems. This vulnerability requires an attacker to have your WiFi password or an Ethernet connection to your router to be exploited,” the vendor notes in an advisory.

Firmware updates have been released for Orbi WiFi systems RBR20, RBR50, RBS20, and RBS50, and for the R6230, R6260, R7000, R8900, R9000, RAX120, RAX120v2, and XR300 router models.

Netgear notes that there are no workarounds for this vulnerability and recommends that users update their devices as soon as possible.

Neither Onekey nor Netgear has made a mention of any of these security flaws being exploited in malicious attacks.

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