CVE-2024-42969 identifies a stack overflow vulnerability in the Tenda FH1206 router firmware version v02.03.01.35. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of the 'page' parameter within the fromSafeUrlFilter function. When a specially crafted POST request is sent to the device, the stack overflow condition can be triggered, causing the device to crash or reboot, resulting in a denial of service (DoS). This vulnerability is remotely exploitable without requiring any authentication or user interaction, making it accessible to unauthenticated attackers over the network. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects a high severity due to the ease of exploitation (network vector, low attack complexity) and the impact on availability, though confidentiality and integrity remain unaffected. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-400, which relates to uncontrolled resource consumption leading to DoS. No patches or fixes have been officially released at the time of publication, and no active exploitation has been observed in the wild. The affected product is a consumer-grade router commonly used in residential and small business environments, which may have limited security monitoring. The lack of authentication requirement and the network-accessible attack vector increase the risk of widespread disruption if exploited.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-42969 is the disruption of network availability due to denial of service on affected Tenda FH1206 devices. Organizations relying on these routers for internet connectivity or internal network routing may experience outages, degraded service, or intermittent connectivity loss. This can affect business operations, especially for small businesses or home offices that depend on these devices without redundant network infrastructure. While the vulnerability does not expose data confidentiality or integrity, the loss of availability can hinder productivity and communications. Additionally, repeated exploitation could cause hardware instability or require manual intervention to restore service. In environments where these routers are part of critical infrastructure or IoT networks, the DoS could have cascading effects. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate risk, but the vulnerability’s ease of exploitation makes it a candidate for future attack campaigns, especially if automated exploit tools emerge.

Since no official patches or firmware updates have been released for this vulnerability, organizations should implement interim mitigations to reduce risk. These include: 1) Restricting network access to the router’s management interface by limiting exposure to trusted internal networks only and blocking external access via firewall rules. 2) Deploying network intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with signatures or anomaly detection to identify and block suspicious POST requests targeting the vulnerable parameter. 3) Monitoring router logs and network traffic for unusual POST requests or device reboots indicative of exploitation attempts. 4) Encouraging users to upgrade to newer firmware versions once patches become available from Tenda. 5) Considering replacement of vulnerable devices with more secure alternatives if patching is delayed. 6) Applying network segmentation to isolate critical systems from affected routers to minimize impact. 7) Educating users about the risks of exposing router management interfaces to the internet. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on network-level controls and proactive monitoring tailored to the vulnerability’s exploitation method.