OpenRepeater 2.1 Vulnerable to Critical OS Command Injection (CVE-2024-XXXX)

OpenRepeater 2.1 Affected by Critical OS Command Injection Vulnerability

Security researchers have identified a severe OS command injection vulnerability in OpenRepeater 2.1, a popular open-source software used for managing amateur radio repeaters. The flaw, tracked under CVE-2024-XXXX (pending assignment), allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with elevated privileges.

Technical Details

The vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface of OpenRepeater 2.1, where improper input validation in a specific parameter enables attackers to inject malicious OS commands. Exploitation requires no authentication, making this a critical remote code execution (RCE) risk. The exploit has been publicly disclosed via Exploit-DB (ID: 52452), increasing the urgency for organizations to apply mitigations.

Key technical aspects:

• Affected Software: OpenRepeater 2.1
• Vulnerability Type: OS Command Injection (CWE-78)
• Exploit Availability: Public (Exploit-DB #52452)
• Attack Vector: Remote, unauthenticated
• Impact: Full system compromise, arbitrary command execution

Impact Analysis

OpenRepeater is widely deployed in amateur radio infrastructure, often running on embedded Linux systems. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to:

• Gain root-level access to the host system
• Install backdoors or malware
• Disrupt radio communications
• Pivot to other networked devices

Given the public availability of a proof-of-concept exploit, organizations using OpenRepeater 2.1 face imminent risk of targeted attacks. The flaw is particularly concerning for systems exposed to the internet without proper network segmentation.

Recommendations

1. Immediate Actions:

   • Isolate vulnerable instances from untrusted networks
   • Disable remote management interfaces if not essential
   • Monitor for suspicious activity (e.g., unexpected processes, network connections)

2. Patch Management:

   • Await an official patch from the OpenRepeater development team
   • Apply the fix immediately upon release
   • Consider upgrading to a newer, supported version if available

3. Workarounds:

   • Implement strict firewall rules to restrict access to the management interface
   • Use VPNs or private networks for remote administration
   • Deploy intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to block exploitation attempts

4. Long-Term Mitigations:

   • Regularly audit open-source software for vulnerabilities
   • Follow the principle of least privilege for service accounts
   • Subscribe to security advisories for critical infrastructure components

Security teams should prioritize this vulnerability due to its high severity and public exploit availability. Organizations using OpenRepeater should assume active scanning for vulnerable systems is underway and act accordingly.