CVE-2022-45672 is a high-severity buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the Tenda i22 router firmware version 1.0.0.3(4687). The flaw exists in the function formWx3AuthorizeSet, which is part of the device's web interface or internal authorization mechanism. A buffer overflow occurs when more data is written to a buffer than it can hold, potentially allowing an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory. This can lead to denial of service (DoS) conditions by crashing the device or, in some cases, arbitrary code execution if the overflow is exploited to inject malicious payloads. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N), making it highly accessible to attackers. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects a high severity primarily due to the impact on availability (A:H), while confidentiality and integrity are not directly affected (C:N/I:N). The vulnerability 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 publication date (December 2, 2022). Given the nature of the vulnerability and the affected device, exploitation could disrupt network connectivity for users relying on the Tenda i22 router, potentially impacting home and small office environments where these devices are deployed.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on the deployment scale of Tenda i22 routers within their network infrastructure. While Tenda devices are generally more common in consumer and small business markets, some small enterprises may use them for internet connectivity. Exploitation could lead to denial of service, causing network outages and loss of internet access, which can disrupt business operations, communications, and access to cloud services. Although the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact can be significant, especially for organizations lacking redundant network paths or failover mechanisms. Additionally, if exploited in large-scale attacks, this vulnerability could be leveraged to create botnets or launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, indirectly affecting broader network stability. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation and lack of required authentication make it a credible threat vector that European organizations should monitor carefully.

1. Immediate identification and inventory of Tenda i22 routers within organizational networks to assess exposure. 2. Since no official patches are currently available, organizations should consider isolating affected devices from critical network segments or the internet to limit exposure. 3. Implement network-level protections such as firewall rules to restrict access to the router's management interface, especially from untrusted networks. 4. Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns or repeated requests targeting the formWx3AuthorizeSet function or related endpoints indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Engage with Tenda support channels to obtain information on firmware updates or patches addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 6. For organizations relying on these devices, consider replacing them with routers from vendors with more robust security update policies. 7. Employ network segmentation and redundancy to minimize the operational impact of potential router outages. 8. Maintain up-to-date intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) signatures that may emerge for this vulnerability.