CVE-2026-0781 is an OS command injection vulnerability identified in the ALGO 8180 IP Audio Alerter, specifically affecting version 5.5 of the product. The flaw resides in the device's web-based user interface where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being passed to system calls. This improper neutralization of special elements (CWE-78) enables an authenticated attacker to inject arbitrary OS commands, leading to remote code execution on the device. The vulnerability requires authentication, which limits exploitation to users with valid credentials or those who can obtain them through other means. The CVSS v3.0 base score is 7.2, indicating high severity, with impacts rated high on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability was assigned by ZDI (ZDI-CAN-28290) and published on January 23, 2026. No public exploits or patches are currently available, increasing the urgency for organizations to implement compensating controls. The ALGO 8180 IP Audio Alerter is typically used in enterprise and public safety environments for IP-based audio alerting, making the compromise of these devices potentially impactful on operational communications and safety notifications.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses significant risks, especially for those relying on ALGO 8180 IP Audio Alerter devices in critical communication infrastructures such as emergency alert systems, public safety, and enterprise notification systems. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to full device compromise, disruption of alerting services, unauthorized data access, or pivoting to other network segments. This could result in operational downtime, loss of trust in safety systems, and exposure of sensitive information. Given the device’s role in audio alerting, availability impact is particularly critical, as failure or manipulation of alerts could have safety implications. The requirement for authentication reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, especially if credential management is weak or if attackers gain access through phishing or insider threats. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for mitigation but also means organizations should proactively secure these devices.

1. Immediately restrict network access to the ALGO 8180 IP Audio Alerter devices to trusted management networks and VPNs to reduce exposure. 2. Enforce strong authentication policies, including complex passwords and multi-factor authentication where supported, to prevent unauthorized access. 3. Monitor device logs and network traffic for unusual commands or access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Isolate the devices on segmented VLANs with strict firewall rules to limit lateral movement if compromised. 5. Engage with ALGO for timely patch releases and apply updates as soon as they become available. 6. Conduct regular credential audits and rotate passwords to minimize risk from compromised credentials. 7. Implement intrusion detection/prevention systems that can detect command injection patterns or anomalous device behavior. 8. Train administrators on secure device configuration and the risks of command injection vulnerabilities. 9. Consider deploying compensating controls such as application-layer firewalls or web application firewalls (WAFs) that can filter malicious input to the device’s web interface.