CVE-2022-45641 is a high-severity buffer overflow vulnerability affecting the Tenda AC6V1.0 router firmware version V15.03.05.19. The vulnerability arises in the formSetMacFilterCfg function, which is responsible for configuring MAC address filtering on the device. A buffer overflow occurs when the function improperly handles input data, allowing an attacker to send specially crafted requests that exceed the allocated buffer size. This can lead to memory corruption, potentially causing denial of service (DoS) conditions by crashing the device or enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). The impact is primarily on availability, with no direct confidentiality or integrity compromise reported. The weakness is classified under CWE-120, which corresponds to classic buffer overflow issues. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported as of the published date (December 2, 2022). However, the ease of exploitation and network accessibility make this a significant threat to affected devices.

For European organizations, the exploitation of this vulnerability could result in widespread disruption of network connectivity and availability, especially in environments relying on Tenda AC6 routers for internet access or internal networking. The denial of service caused by device crashes could interrupt business operations, degrade service quality, and increase operational costs due to downtime and recovery efforts. Although no direct data breach or integrity compromise is indicated, the loss of availability in critical infrastructure components like routers can indirectly affect confidentiality and integrity by forcing fallback to less secure communication channels or delaying security updates. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and residential users who commonly deploy consumer-grade Tenda routers are particularly at risk. Additionally, organizations with remote or distributed networks using these devices could face challenges in maintaining secure and reliable connectivity. The lack of patches means that mitigation relies heavily on network-level controls and device replacement or firmware updates if available.

1. Immediate network segmentation: Isolate Tenda AC6V1.0 routers from critical network segments to limit potential impact. 2. Disable or restrict remote management interfaces, especially those exposed to the internet, to prevent unauthorized access to the vulnerable function. 3. Implement strict firewall rules to block unsolicited inbound traffic targeting the router’s management ports. 4. Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns or repeated malformed requests that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Where possible, replace affected Tenda AC6V1.0 routers with devices from vendors providing timely security updates and patches. 6. Engage with Tenda support channels to inquire about firmware updates or patches addressing this vulnerability. 7. Employ intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to detect buffer overflow attempts or malformed packets targeting MAC filter configuration endpoints. 8. Educate network administrators about this specific vulnerability to ensure rapid response to any signs of exploitation.