CVE-2022-45668 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the firmware version 1.0.0.3(4687) of the Tenda i22 wireless router. CSRF vulnerabilities allow an attacker to trick an authenticated user into submitting a forged HTTP request to the vulnerable device without their consent. Specifically, this vulnerability affects the 'fromSysToolReboot' function, which is responsible for rebooting the device remotely via the web interface. Because the vulnerability does not require any privileges (PR:N) and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), an attacker can induce a reboot of the router by luring a user to visit a malicious webpage or click a crafted link. The vulnerability requires user interaction (UI:R), meaning the victim must perform some action such as visiting a malicious site. The impact is limited to availability (A:H), as the attacker cannot affect confidentiality or integrity of the device or network traffic. The scope is unchanged (S:U), indicating the vulnerability affects only the vulnerable component. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, categorized as medium severity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches or vendor advisories have been published. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which corresponds to CSRF attacks. Given the nature of the vulnerability, an attacker could cause denial of service by repeatedly rebooting the router, disrupting network connectivity for users relying on the device. However, the attack requires the victim to be authenticated to the router's web interface and to interact with malicious content, which limits the attack surface somewhat.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability is potential disruption of network availability due to forced reboots of Tenda i22 routers. This could affect small offices, home offices, or remote workers using this device, leading to temporary loss of internet connectivity and productivity interruptions. While the vulnerability does not allow data theft or device compromise, repeated forced reboots could degrade trust in network reliability and increase support costs. Organizations with remote or distributed workforces relying on consumer-grade Tenda routers are particularly at risk. Critical infrastructure or enterprise environments are less likely to be affected unless these devices are deployed in less secure network segments. Additionally, attackers could leverage this vulnerability as part of a broader denial-of-service campaign targeting multiple devices simultaneously, potentially amplifying impact. Since the attack requires user interaction and authenticated sessions, social engineering or phishing campaigns could be used to exploit this vulnerability, increasing risk to users with lower security awareness.

1. Network Segmentation: Isolate Tenda i22 routers from critical network segments to limit impact of forced reboots. 2. User Education: Train users to avoid clicking on suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites while authenticated to router interfaces. 3. Disable Remote Management: If remote web management is enabled on the router, disable it to reduce exposure to remote CSRF attacks. 4. Use Strong Authentication: Ensure router web interfaces require strong, unique passwords and consider disabling default credentials. 5. Monitor Router Logs: Regularly check router logs for unusual reboot patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Firmware Updates: Although no patches are currently available, monitor Tenda’s official channels for firmware updates addressing this issue and apply them promptly. 7. Employ Web Security Controls: Use browser security features or extensions that can block CSRF attacks or restrict cross-site requests. 8. Implement Network Access Controls: Restrict access to router management interfaces to trusted IP addresses or VPN connections only. These measures collectively reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation and limit the operational impact if exploitation occurs.