CVE-2025-32456 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the ON Semiconductor Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset, specifically through a local control script named router_command.sh, which is invoked via the put_file_to_qtn argument. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-88, which involves improper neutralization of argument delimiters in a command, commonly known as argument injection. This flaw allows an attacker with local access to the device to inject arbitrary commands due to insufficient sanitization of input arguments passed to the script. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.7, reflecting high impact on confidentiality and integrity, but no impact on availability. The vector metrics indicate that exploitation requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), but the impact on confidentiality and integrity is high (C:H/I:H), with no impact on availability (A:N). The affected versions include all versions up to 8.0.0.28 of the Quantenna SDK, and as of the initial publication date, no patches have been released, although the vendor has provided a best practices guide for implementors. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows an unauthenticated local attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the device, potentially leading to full compromise of the Wi-Fi chipset's control functions, which could be leveraged to intercept, manipulate, or disrupt network traffic or pivot to other network segments. The lack of known exploits in the wild suggests it is not yet actively exploited, but the ease of exploitation and high impact warrant immediate attention.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for enterprises and service providers relying on network equipment incorporating the Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized command execution on critical network infrastructure, compromising confidentiality and integrity of network communications. This could result in data breaches, interception of sensitive information, unauthorized network access, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. Given the local access requirement, the threat is more pronounced in environments where physical or local network access is possible, such as public Wi-Fi hotspots, enterprise offices, or managed service provider facilities. The vulnerability could also undermine trust in wireless connectivity, impacting operational continuity and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR if personal data is exposed. Additionally, the lack of availability impact means the device may continue operating normally while compromised, making detection more difficult and increasing the risk of prolonged undetected attacks.

Mitigation should focus on immediate containment and long-term remediation. Organizations should first identify all devices using the Quantenna Wi-Fi chipset up to version 8.0.0.28 and restrict local access to these devices, enforcing strict physical security and network segmentation to limit exposure. Network administrators should monitor for unusual command execution patterns or unauthorized configuration changes on affected devices. Since no official patch is available, applying the vendor's best practices guide is critical; this may include disabling or restricting access to the vulnerable router_command.sh script or sanitizing inputs at the implementation level. Where possible, upgrading to newer SDK versions once patches are released is essential. Additionally, implementing strong authentication and access controls on management interfaces can reduce the risk of exploitation. Regular firmware integrity checks and anomaly detection on network devices should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. Finally, organizations should prepare incident response plans specific to Wi-Fi infrastructure compromise scenarios.