VulnerabilityPublished 20 Mar 2025Updated 20 Jan 2026

CVE-2024-57440: Stack-based Buffer Overflow

Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 56% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Mar 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

1. Monitor D-Link's official channels for firmware updates addressing CVE-2024-57440 and apply patches promptly once available. 2. Restrict access to the router's web interface (webproc CGI) by implementing network segmentation and firewall rules to block external and unnecessary internal access. 3. Disable remote management features on the affected device if not required, reducing the attack surface. 4. Employ intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with signatures or anomaly detection to identify and block attempts to exploit the buffer overflow. 5. Regularly audit network devices for vulnerable firmware versions and replace or upgrade devices that cannot be patched. 6. Implement network-level rate limiting and filtering to prevent automated scanning and exploitation attempts. 7. Educate IT staff about this vulnerability to ensure rapid response to any signs of exploitation or device instability. 8. Maintain backups and contingency plans to restore network connectivity quickly in case of device failure due to exploitation.

Description

CVE-2024-57440 is a high-severity buffer overflow vulnerability affecting the D-Link DSL-3788 revA1 1.01R1B036_EU_EN router firmware. The flaw exists in the COMM_MAKECustomMsg function of the webproc CGI, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to cause denial of service by triggering a buffer overflow. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but results in high impact on availability. No user interaction or privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability, and no known exploits are currently reported in the wild. European organizations using this specific D-Link router model are at risk, especially in countries with significant deployment of this device. Mitigation requires firmware updates or network-level protections such as filtering access to the vulnerable web interface. Given the lack of patches and the critical nature of availability impact, proactive monitoring and segmentation are recommended to reduce exposure.

Impact

For European organizations, exploitation of CVE-2024-57440 could lead to denial of service of affected D-Link DSL-3788 routers, disrupting internet connectivity and network operations. This is particularly critical for small and medium enterprises or residential users relying on this device for primary internet access. The loss of availability can impact business continuity, remote work capabilities, and access to cloud services. Since the vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, attackers can easily scan and target exposed devices on the internet or within internal networks. Although the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the operational impact of device crashes or reboots can cause significant downtime. Organizations in sectors with high dependency on stable internet connections, such as finance, healthcare, or critical infrastructure, may experience cascading effects from such outages. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but also indicates the potential for future exploitation once public awareness increases. Without available patches, organizations must rely on network-level mitigations and monitoring to reduce exposure. The impact is thus primarily on availability and operational resilience.

Summary

CVE-2024-57440 is a buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the D-Link DSL-3788 revA1 router firmware version 1.01R1B036_EU_EN. The vulnerability resides in the COMM_MAKECustomMsg function within the webproc CGI component, which processes custom messages. A buffer overflow occurs when specially crafted input is sent to this function, leading to memory corruption. This flaw can be exploited remotely over the network without any authentication or user interaction, making it highly accessible to attackers. The primary consequence of successful exploitation is denial of service (DoS), as the overflow can crash or destabilize the device, impacting its availability. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow), indicating improper bounds checking on input data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting high severity due to network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and a significant impact on availability only. No patches or fixes have been published yet, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild. The vulnerability affects a specific firmware version targeted at the European market, emphasizing the need for vigilance among users of this device. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact reduces the risk of data theft or manipulation but does not diminish the operational disruption potential. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in embedded device web interfaces and the need for timely firmware updates.

CWE-121Stack-based Buffer Overflow (opens in a new tab)
Variant weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighCWE Top 25 (2025): #14
A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function).
Operation · Build and Compilation · Environment Hardening
Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index…
Architecture and Design
Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
Implementation
Implement and perform bounds checking on input.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 27 Jan 2026, 20:24 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-121

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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