VulnerabilityPublished 13 Dec 2025Updated 24 Feb 2026

CVE-2025-14636: Tenda AX9 · Use of Weak Hash

Affects Tenda AX9Source CVE Database V5

Public exploit available · CVSS 6.3 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

6.3Medium

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 21% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

Base metrics

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Threat metrics

Exploit Maturity: POC

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, 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: High: The successful attack depends on the evasion or circumvention of security-enhancing techniques in place that would otherwise hinder the attack. These include: Evasion of exploit mitigation techniques, for example, circumvention of address space randomization (ASLR) or data execution prevention (DEP) must be performed for the attack to be successful; Obtaining target-specific secrets. The attacker must gather some target-specific secret before the attack can be successful. A secret is any piece of information that cannot be obtained through any amount of reconnaissance. To obtain the secret the attacker must perform additional attacks or break otherwise secure measures (e.g. knowledge of a secret key may be needed to break a crypto channel). This operation must be performed for each attacked target.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files of the vulnerable system to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Exploit Maturity: POC: Based on threat intelligence sources each of the following must apply: · Proof-of-concept is publicly available · No knowledge of reported attempts to exploit this vulnerability · No knowledge of publicly available solutions used to simplify attempts to exploit the vulnerability

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 13 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: evidence found.
CVSS exploit maturity: proof of concept public
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), CVSS vector, 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 or the CVSS exploit maturity 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

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Tenda AX9	Affected =22.03.01.46	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Monitor Tenda’s official channels for firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and apply patches immediately upon release.
Until patches are available, restrict remote access to the router’s management interfaces by implementing strict firewall rules and network segmentation to limit exposure.
Disable remote management features if not required to reduce the attack surface.
Employ network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) to monitor for unusual firmware update attempts or anomalous HTTP traffic targeting the router.
Regularly audit router configurations and firmware versions to ensure compliance with security policies.
Educate users and administrators about the risks of installing unverified firmware and encourage verification of firmware integrity through alternative means if possible.
Consider deploying additional security layers such as VPNs or secure DNS to mitigate risks from compromised routers.
For critical environments, evaluate replacing affected devices with models that have verified secure firmware update mechanisms.

Description

A security flaw has been discovered in Tenda AX9 22.03.01.46. This affects the function image_check of the component httpd. The manipulation results in use of weak hash. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. A high complexity level is associated with this attack. It is indicated that the exploitability is difficult. The exploit has been released to the public and may be used for attacks.

Impact

The exploitation of CVE-2025-14636 could allow attackers to bypass firmware integrity checks and install malicious firmware on affected Tenda AX9 routers. This could lead to persistent compromise of the device, enabling attackers to intercept, manipulate, or redirect network traffic, steal sensitive information, or use the device as a foothold for further attacks within the network. The confidentiality and integrity of network communications passing through the compromised router would be at risk. Although the attack complexity is high and no known active exploitation has been reported, the availability of a public exploit increases the likelihood of future attacks. Organizations relying on Tenda AX9 routers, especially in critical network segments, could face significant operational and security risks if this vulnerability is exploited. The impact extends to residential users and small businesses that may lack robust security controls, increasing the potential for widespread abuse.

Summary

CVE-2025-14636 is a vulnerability identified in the Tenda AX9 router firmware version 22.03.01.46, specifically within the image_check function of the embedded httpd component. The flaw stems from the use of a weak cryptographic hash algorithm to verify firmware images, which undermines the integrity verification process. This weakness could allow a remote attacker to craft malicious firmware images that bypass the integrity check, potentially leading to unauthorized firmware installation or modification. The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction, but the complexity of successfully exploiting this vulnerability is high due to the technical challenges involved in crafting a valid malicious image that passes other checks. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 6.3 (medium severity), reflecting the moderate risk posed by this vulnerability. Although no active exploitation has been reported, a public exploit exists, increasing the risk of future attacks. The vulnerability primarily threatens the confidentiality and integrity of the device’s firmware and configuration, with limited impact on availability. The absence of official patches necessitates alternative mitigations such as network segmentation, strict access controls, and monitoring for anomalous firmware update attempts. Given the widespread use of Tenda routers in residential and small business environments, this vulnerability could have broad implications if exploited at scale.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 24 Feb 2026, 22:59 UTC

Technical details

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