Ruckus Unleashed: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
CVE-2025-46116 is a high-severity execution with unnecessary privileges vulnerability in Ruckus Unleashed from Ruckuswireless, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 200.15.6.212.14, 200.17.7.0.139 as the first without the flaw, so updating Ruckus Unleashed to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.54% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Ruckus Unleashed to 200.15.6.212.14 or 200.17.7.0.139, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Ruckus Zonedirector to 10.5.1.0.279 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruckuswireless | Ruckus Unleashed | before 200.15.6.212.14; 200.17 up to, but not including, 200.17.7.0.139 | 200.15.6.212.14, 200.17.7.0.139 |
| Ruckuswireless | Ruckus Zonedirector | before 10.5.1.0.279 | 10.5.1.0.279 |
Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).
Official description
An issue was discovered in CommScope Ruckus Unleashed prior to 200.15.6.212.14 and 200.17.7.0.139, and in Ruckus ZoneDirector prior to 10.5.1.0.279, where an authenticated attacker can disable the passphrase requirement for a hidden CLI command `!v54!` via a management API call and then invoke it to escape the restricted shell and obtain a root shell on the controller.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
The product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
- Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
More Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities (CWE-250)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)
- sector7.computest.nl/post/2025-07-ruckus-unleashed/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in Ruckus Unleashed
- 7.2 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
Recent Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
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