cbcvebase.
CVE-2019-17621
published 2019-12-30

CVE-2019-17621: The UPnP endpoint URL /gena.cgi in the D-Link DIR-859 Wi-Fi router 1.05 and 1.06B01 Beta01 allows an Unauthenticated remote attacker to execute system commands…

PriorityP197critical9.8CVSS 3.1
AVNACLPRNUINSUCHIHAH
KEVITWEXPLOITInitial access
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilitydue 2023-07-20
Exploited in the wild
EPSS
89.62%
99.8th percentile
The UPnP endpoint URL /gena.cgi in the D-Link DIR-859 Wi-Fi router 1.05 and 1.06B01 Beta01 allows an Unauthenticated remote attacker to execute system commands as root, by sending a specially crafted HTTP SUBSCRIBE request to the UPnP service when connecting to the local network.

Affected

20 ranges
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
dlinkdir-822_firmware<= 2.03b01
dlinkdir-822_firmware<= 3.12b04
dlinkdir-823_firmware<= 1.00b06
dlinkdir-823_firmware
dlinkdir-859_firmware<= 1.05b03
dlinkdir-859_firmware
dlinkdir-865l_firmware<= 1.07b01
dlinkdir-868l_firmware<= 1.12b04
dlinkdir-868l_firmware<= 2.05b02
dlinkdir-869_firmware<= 1.03b02
dlinkdir-869_firmware
dlinkdir-880l_firmware<= 1.08b04
dlinkdir-885l_firmware<= 1.12b05
dlinkdir-885r_firmware<= 1.12b05
dlinkdir-890l_firmware<= 1.11b01
dlinkdir-890l_firmware
dlinkdir-890r_firmware<= 1.11b01
dlinkdir-890r_firmware
dlinkdir-895l_firmware<= 1.12b10
dlinkdir-895r_firmware<= 1.12b10

Detection & IOCsextracted from sources · hover to see the quote

path/gena.cgi
snort
alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET any (msg:"ET WEB_SPECIFIC_APPS D-Link gena.cgi service Parameter Command Injection Attempt (CVE-2025-13562, CVE-2024-23624, CVE-2019-17621)"; flow:established,to_server; content:"SUBSCRIBE /gena.cgi|3f|service|3d|"; fast_pattern; depth:28; pcre:"/^[^\x26]*?(?:(?:\x3b|%3[Bb])|(?:\x0a|%0[Aa])|(?:\x60|%60)|(?:\x7c|%7[Cc])|(?:\x24|%24))+/R"; content:"NT|3a 20|"; content:"Callback|3a 20|"; reference:cve,2019-17621; reference:cve,2025-13562; reference:cve,2024-23624; classtype:attempted-admin; sid:2066991; rev:1; metadata:affected_product D_Link, attack_target Networking_Equipment, tls_state plaintext, created_at 2026_01_23, cve CVE_2019_17621, deployment Perimeter, deployment Internal, performance_impact Low, confidence High, signature_severity Major, tag Exploit, tag Description_Generated_By_Proofpoint_Nexus, updated_at 2026_01_23, mitre_tactic_id TA0001, mitre_tactic_name Initial_Access, mitre_technique_id T1190, mitre_technique_name Exploit_Public_Facing_Application; target:dest_ip;)
bytes
SUBSCRIBE /gena.cgi?service=
  • Look for HTTP SUBSCRIBE requests targeting /gena.cgi with shell metacharacters (;, newline, backtick, pipe, $) injected into the 'service' query parameter — these indicate command injection exploitation attempts.
  • Exploit traffic is plaintext (no TLS); detection should be applied at both perimeter and internal network segments to catch lateral exploitation attempts.
  • Malicious SUBSCRIBE requests will contain both 'NT:' and 'Callback:' HTTP headers alongside the crafted /gena.cgi?service= URI — all three elements together are a strong signal of exploitation.
  • The vulnerable code path is the genacgi_main() function inside /htdocs/cgibin on the D-Link DIR-859; process-level monitoring for unexpected child processes spawned from this binary can indicate post-exploitation.
  • Check Point IPS blade detects exploitation activity under the signature name 'Command Injection Over HTTP'; use this as a cross-vendor correlation label.
  • ·The vulnerability is only exploitable from the local network (LAN-side UPnP service), not directly from the internet — perimeter blocking alone is insufficient if an attacker has LAN access.
  • ·The endpoint /gena.cgi requires no authentication, meaning no credential-based detection or alerting on failed logins will surface exploitation of this vulnerability.

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.19.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvdv2.010.0CRITICALAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
vulncheck9.8CRITICAL
cisa9.8CRITICAL
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