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Threats / D-Link / CVE-2024-0769
CVE-2024-0769 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-08-04

D-Link DIR-859 Router vulnerability

D-Link DIR-859 routers contain a path traversal vulnerability in /hedwig.cgi that allows attackers to read sensitive configuration files, potentially enabling privilege escalation and unauthorized device control.

Verdict

Today item — known-exploited.

A path traversal flaw in the HTTP POST handler of legacy D-Link DIR-859 routers permits unauthenticated file access via manipulated service parameters, exposing session data and configuration secrets. The product is end-of-life with no vendor patches available.

CISA KEV Yes · 2025-06-255EPSS 0.82714 (verify live)6CVSS 5.33CISA SSVC Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Impact: total4
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Reported exploitation
7 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
labs.greynoise.io ↗cyble.com ↗app.crowdsec.net ↗cisa.gov ↗Confirmed
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2025-06-25).
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.82714 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
FIRST EPSS ↗High
Severity / affected
CVSS 5.3 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N) · Affected: D-Link, DIR-859 Router. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.CVSS — CNA-assigned (CVE.org), version 3.1, set at disclosure.
CVE.org ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-22 Path Traversal — weakness family: Path traversal / file.CWE — CNA-assigned (CVE.org); the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
CVE.org ↗Reported
CISA SSVC (triage disposition)
Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical Impact: totalCISA's own stakeholder-specific triage inputs, published in the CVE record (CISA Coordinator role). NOTE: this is CISA's three decision points; the final Act/Attend/Track decision also requires a Mission & Well-being input not published here, so no overall decision is asserted.
CISA-ADP ↗Reported
Currency of the record
CISA added this to its KEV catalog 521 days after the CVE record was published.KEV lag = CISA-KEV dateAdded − CVE.org datePublished; a floor on how long the known-exploited flaw sat in the public record before the federal catalog listed it. Severity/weakness here is CNA- or CISA-assigned (current at disclosure), independent of NVD's analysis backlog.
CISA KEV ↗CVE.org ↗Reported
WeaknessCWE-22 · Path TraversalPath traversal / file
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
I craft a malicious HTTP POST request to /hedwig.cgi with a traversal payload in the service parameter to escape the intended directory.
Business
Attackers gain unauthorized read access to sensitive router configuration and session files without authentication.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
I extract session tokens and authentication credentials from exposed configuration files like DHCPS6.BRIDGE-1.xml.
Business
Compromised credentials enable lateral movement and privilege escalation within the device and connected network.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
I use obtained credentials to authenticate to administrative interfaces and modify router settings or inject malicious configurations.
Business
Complete device compromise allows traffic interception, DNS hijacking, and network-wide compromise of connected systems.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • 7 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CVSS 5.3 — CNA-assigned (CVE.org)
  • CISA SSVC triage disposition (CVE.org ADP)
  • CWE weakness mapping — CNA-assigned (CVE.org)
  • Catalogued by VulDB (CNA)
  • Named finder/reporter credit (CVE.org)

    • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
    • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by VulDBCNA
    Credited with finding itFrançoa Taffarelfinderfrancoa.taffarel (VulDB User)reporterfrancoa.taffarel (VulDB User)analyst