📄 Description (English)
A vulnerability was detected in D-Link DIR-645 1.01/1.02/1.03. Impacted is the function hedwigcgi_main of the file /cgi-bin/hedwig.cgi. The manipulation results in stack-based buffer overflow. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit is now public and may be used. This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
A critical stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in D-Link DIR-645 routers (versions 1.01-1.03) affecting the hedwig.cgi component. The vulnerability allows remote unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code with device privileges. Since these router models are end-of-life with no patches available, organizations must implement immediate network segmentation and replacement strategies.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 23, 2026 20:18
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
High impact for Saudi organizations using legacy D-Link DIR-645 routers in branch offices, remote sites, or as secondary network devices. Most affected sectors: Banking (branch networks via SAMA-regulated institutions), Government agencies (NCA oversight), Telecommunications (STC/Mobily infrastructure), Healthcare facilities, and Energy sector (ARAMCO contractors). Small-to-medium enterprises and government entities with aging network infrastructure face elevated risk of complete network compromise, data exfiltration, and lateral movement into critical systems.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking and Financial Services
Government and Public Administration
Telecommunications
Healthcare and Medical Facilities
Energy and Utilities
Manufacturing
Retail and E-commerce
Education
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application (hedwig.cgi remote exploitation)
T1133 - External Remote Services (remote access via vulnerable CGI)
T1543 - Create or Modify System Process (code execution with device privileges)
T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter (arbitrary code execution)
T1021 - Remote Service Session Initiation (lateral movement from compromised router)
T1071 - Application Layer Protocol (HTTP-based exploitation)
T1040 - Traffic Capture or Redirection (potential MITM from compromised router)
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
8.9
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Identify and inventory all D-Link DIR-645 devices in your network using network scanning tools (nmap, Shodan queries)
2. Isolate affected routers from production networks immediately or implement strict access controls
3. Monitor for exploitation attempts using IDS/IPS signatures for hedwig.cgi buffer overflow patterns
4. Disable remote management features and restrict access to router admin interfaces to trusted IPs only
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
- No official patches available; device is end-of-life
- Evaluate firmware alternatives from D-Link if available for this model
- Consider third-party firmware (OpenWrt) if compatible and tested in your environment
COMPENSATING CONTROLS:
1. Deploy WAF/IPS rules blocking malformed requests to /cgi-bin/hedwig.cgi
2. Implement network segmentation: isolate router management traffic on separate VLAN
3. Enable logging and alerting for any access attempts to hedwig.cgi
4. Restrict outbound connections from affected routers to prevent C2 communication
5. Implement rate limiting on CGI endpoints
DETECTION RULES:
- Monitor for HTTP requests with oversized parameters to /cgi-bin/hedwig.cgi
- Alert on any successful code execution patterns from router processes
- Track unusual process spawning from router daemons
- Monitor for unexpected outbound connections from router IP addresses
REPLACEMENT STRATEGY:
- Prioritize replacement with supported D-Link models or alternative vendors (Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet)
- Establish timeline for complete decommissioning of DIR-645 devices within 90 days
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تحديد وحصر جميع أجهزة D-Link DIR-645 في شبكتك باستخدام أدوات المسح الشبكي
2. عزل الأجهزة المتأثرة عن شبكات الإنتاج فوراً أو تطبيق ضوابط وصول صارمة
3. مراقبة محاولات الاستغلال باستخدام توقيعات IDS/IPS لأنماط تجاوز المخزن المؤقت
4. تعطيل ميزات الإدارة البعيدة وتقييد الوصول إلى واجهات إدارة الموجه للعناوين الموثوقة فقط
إرشادات التصحيح:
- لا توجد تصحيحات رسمية متاحة؛ الجهاز انتهى دعمه
- تقييم بدائل البرامج الثابتة من D-Link إن وجدت
- النظر في البرامج الثابتة من جهات خارجية (OpenWrt) إذا كانت متوافقة
الضوابط البديلة:
1. نشر قواعد WAF/IPS لحجب الطلبات المشوهة إلى /cgi-bin/hedwig.cgi
2. تطبيق الفصل الشبكي: عزل حركة إدارة الموجه على VLAN منفصل
3. تفعيل التسجيل والتنبيهات لأي محاولات وصول إلى hedwig.cgi
4. تقييد الاتصالات الصادرة من الأجهزة المتأثرة
5. تطبيق تحديد معدل على نقاط نهاية CGI
قواعد الكشف:
- مراقبة طلبات HTTP ذات المعاملات الكبيرة إلى /cgi-bin/hedwig.cgi
- التنبيه على أي أنماط تنفيذ كود ناجحة من عمليات الموجه
- تتبع توليد العمليات غير المتوقعة من خيوط الموجه
- مراقبة الاتصالات الصادرة غير المتوقعة من عناوين IP الموجه
استراتيجية الاستبدال:
- أولويات الاستبدال بنماذج D-Link مدعومة أو بدائل من بائعين آخرين
- وضع جدول زمني لإيقاف تشغيل أجهزة DIR-645 بالكامل خلال 90 يوماً
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 A.8.1 - Asset Management (inventory and lifecycle management of network devices)
ECC 2024 A.12.6 - Change Management (managing end-of-life systems)
ECC 2024 A.14.2 - System Development and Maintenance (secure configuration of network infrastructure)
ECC 2024 A.13.1 - Network Security (network segmentation and access controls)
🔵 SAMA CSF
Identify (ID) - Asset Management and inventory of critical network infrastructure
Protect (PR) - Access Control and network segmentation for legacy systems
Detect (DE) - Monitoring and alerting for exploitation attempts
Respond (RS) - Incident response procedures for compromised routers
Recover (RC) - Business continuity for network infrastructure failures
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.5.19 - Management of information security incidents
A.8.1 - Inventory of assets
A.8.2 - Ownership of assets
A.8.3 - Acceptable use of assets
A.12.1 - Operational change management
A.13.1 - Network security perimeter
A.14.2 - System development and maintenance security
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
Requirement 1.1 - Firewall configuration standards (network segmentation)
Requirement 2.1 - Default security parameters (change default settings)
Requirement 6.2 - Security patches and updates (compensating controls for unsupported devices)
Requirement 11.3 - Penetration testing (identify vulnerable legacy systems)
🔗 References & Sources 6
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https://github.com/Pers1st0/CVE/blob/main/stack-based%20buffer%20overflow%20vulnerabili...
cna@vuldb.com
https://github.com/Pers1st0/CVE/blob/main/stack-based%20buffer%20overflow%20vulnerabili...
cna@vuldb.com
https://vuldb.com/submit/788298
cna@vuldb.com
https://vuldb.com/vuln/356263
cna@vuldb.com
https://vuldb.com/vuln/356263/cti
cna@vuldb.com
https://www.dlink.com/
cna@vuldb.com