CriticalCVE-2010-5330

    Ubiquiti AirOS Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2010-5330)

    Published In CISA KEV since Sources: CVE.org

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    What is affected, what to do

    On certain Ubiquiti devices, Command Injection exists via a GET request to stainfo.cgi (aka Show AP info) because the ifname variable is not sanitized, as demonstrated by shell metacharacters. The fixed version is v4.0.1 for 802.11 ISP products, v5.3.5 for AirMax ISP products, and v5.4.5 for AirSync firmware.

    The vulnerability is being actively exploited; treat it as a priority. Update UI AirOS to version 4.0.1, UI AirOS to version 5.3.5, UI AirOS to version 5.4.5. Immediate actions, mitigation and detection rules are in the runbook below.

    Affected
    • UI AirOS lt *..4.0.1
    • UI AirOS lt 4.0.2..5.3.5
    • UI AirOS lt 5.3.6..5.4.5
    Fixed in
    • UI AirOS 4.0.1
    • UI AirOS 5.3.5
    • UI AirOS 5.4.5

    Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability

    Metrics

    9.8

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: NVD, CVSS v3

    9.8

    CVSS v3

    Severity Critical on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: CVE.org

    40.2 %

    EPSS score

    Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 98.6

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Critical
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    226.84 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    actively exploited
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    9.8 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    9.8
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    40.2 %
    Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    98.6
    Critical — this CVE ranks in the top fifth of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 80%).
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited
    Published
    In CISA KEV since

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    CISA assessment (SSVC)
    Exploitation: active · automatable · Technical impact: total
    Source: CISA Vulnrichment, as of 7 February 2025
    CWE

    CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.

    Read in glossary
    CWE-77

    Response and mitigation

    Why act now?

    Prioritisation rationale

    The flaw is network-reachable without authentication and trivially triggered with a single GET request. It results in full device takeover, which is why IoT botnets have scanned for it automatically for years and why it ranks among the CVEs most likely to be exploited. Typical victims are WISPs, municipalities, industrial and utility sites running point-to-point radio links, and branch offices whose AirOS gear runs for years without firmware maintenance and with the web UI exposed. CISA records no known ransomware use, but compromised devices serve as botnet nodes, pivot points into internal networks or traffic-manipulation platforms. Treat internet-exposed or KRITIS-relevant radio links as critical with immediate action required; devices confined to a strictly isolated management network can be handled as high priority in the regular patch cycle.

    1. Runbook step 1

      Immediate response (0-24 h)

      • Inventory: Identify every Ubiquiti AirOS device (NanoStation, AirMax, AirSync gear), along with its firmware version, management IP and internet reachability. Validate external exposure of the web UI (TCP 80/443) via Shodan/Censys or your own external scan.
      • Upgrade firmware: Bring devices to at least the fixed releases: v4.0.1 for 802.11 ISP products, v5.3.5 for AirMax ISP products and v5.4.5 for AirSync firmware. On still-supported hardware, install the latest firmware listed in the vendor advisory, as older builds carry further vulnerabilities.
      • Restrict access now: Where upgrading must wait, block the web management interface (HTTP/HTTPS) from the internet and user networks immediately via upstream firewall or ACLs. Allow access only from a dedicated management network.
      • Assume compromise: Treat exposed devices as compromised until proven otherwise, since unauthenticated exploitation yields root command execution. Review configuration, user accounts, SSH keys, cron entries and running processes. If in doubt, factory-reset the device and reflash clean firmware.
      • Rotate credentials: After clean-up, rotate all admin passwords and SNMP communities, plus any stored Wi-Fi PSKs and RADIUS secrets, which may have been exfiltrated.
      • Replace end-of-life hardware: Schedule replacement for hardware that no longer receives firmware, and isolate it strictly in the meantime.

    2. Runbook step 2

      Mitigation layers

      • Network segmentation: Move AirOS management interfaces into a dedicated management VLAN, and allow TCP 80/443/22 only from jump hosts. Block outbound internet traffic from the devices except NTP/DNS to defined servers, which prevents second-stage payload downloads via wget or tftp.
      • IPS/WAF rule: Drop requests to /stainfo.cgi where the ifname parameter contains shell metacharacters (;, |, `, $(, &&, or URL-encoded %3B, %7C, %60, %24%28). Example Suricata shape: alert http any any -> $AIROS_NET any (msg:"CVE-2010-5330 AirOS stainfo.cgi cmd injection"; http.uri; content:"/stainfo.cgi"; nocase; content:"ifname="; pcre:"/ifname=[^&]*(%3B|%7C|%60|%24%28|;|\|||$()/Ui"; sid:9105330; rev:1;)`.
      • Configuration hardening: Disable unneeded services such as plain-HTTP web UI, Telnet and discovery. Permit HTTPS only from the management network, and change default ports and default credentials.
      • IAM/least privilege: Use named admin accounts rather than shared defaults. Enforce device administration through a logged bastion host.
      • Central logging: Enable remote syslog from all AirOS devices to the SIEM so that reboots, configuration changes and logins can be correlated.

    3. Runbook step 3

      Detection rules

      • Web/proxy logs, Zeek http.log: Flag requests to stainfo.cgi with metacharacters in the ifname parameter. SPL example: index=network sourcetype=zeek_http uri="*stainfo.cgi*" (uri="*ifname=*%3B*" OR uri="*ifname=*%7C*" OR uri="*ifname=*%60*" OR uri="*ifname=*%24%28*").
      • Network telemetry (Zeek conn.log/NetFlow): Watch for new outbound connections from AirOS management IPs to external hosts, especially HTTP/TFTP downloads, IRC ports or unusual high ports. KQL example: CommonSecurityLog | where SourceIP in (airos_mgmt_ips) and not(ipv4_is_private(DestinationIP)) | summarize count() by DestinationIP, DestinationPort.
      • Scanning patterns: High-volume GETs to stainfo.cgi from a few sources hitting many targets indicate botnet scanning. A Sigma rule can use cs-uri-stem|contains: 'stainfo.cgi' combined with a per-source count threshold.
      • Device syslog: Alert on unexpected reboots, system.cfg changes, new users or SSH keys, and DNS/routing changes outside maintenance windows.
      • Behavioural anomalies: Sudden uplink traffic spikes or sustained high CPU on radio links suggest DDoS or proxy abuse. Compare against SNMP/UNMS monitoring baselines to surface these deviations.

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited: treat the vulnerability as a priority in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2. If it is exploited in your environment, check the reporting obligation under Art. 23 (early warning within 24 hours).
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    Since 11.09.2026, manufacturers of affected products with digital elements must report actively exploited vulnerabilities under Art. 14 CRA, with an early warning within 24 hours via ENISA's single reporting platform.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    On certain Ubiquiti devices, Command Injection exists via a GET request to stainfo.cgi (aka Show AP info) because the ifname variable is not sanitized, as demonstrated by shell metacharacters. The fixed version is v4.0.1 for 802.11 ISP products, v5.3.5 for AirMax ISP products, and v5.4.5 for AirSync firmware. For example, Nanostation5 (Air OS) is affected.

    Source: NVD (NIST), cvelistv5, CISA KEV Catalog

    Vendors and products

    Affected operating systems

    Affected operating systems
    Otheruiairos—

    Weakness classes (CWE)

    • CWE-77Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')

      Class

      The product constructs all or part of a command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended command when it is sent to a downstream component.

      Entry at MITRE CWE-77

    Public exploit references

    Publicly reported proof-of-concepts, exploit modules and detection templates for this vulnerability. NEOSEC links to the original sources only and does not provide any exploit code.

    Public exploit references
    CISA KEV CatalogCISA Known Exploited Vulnerability (opens in a new tab)cisa.govactively exploited
    Exploit-DBEDB-ID 14146 (opens in a new tab)exploit-db.comPoC (publicly reported)reported, not verified—

    References & sources

    • exploit-db.comexploits/14146x_refsource_MISC, Third-party advisory, Vulnerability database
    • community.ubnt.comt5/airMAX-General-Discussion/AirOS-Security-Exploit-Updated-Fir…x_refsource_MISC, Issue tracking, Patch, Vendor advisory
    • cisa.govknown-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2010-5330government-resource, US government resource
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