Critical Vulnerability in Vivotek Cameras Exposes Systems to Remote Code Execution
A significant security flaw has been identified in Vivotek’s legacy camera firmware, designated as CVE-2026-22755. This vulnerability permits unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges, posing a substantial threat to organizations utilizing these surveillance devices.
Technical Details
The core of this vulnerability lies within the `upload_map.cgi` script. Here, user-supplied filenames are processed through an unsanitized `snprintf()` function before being passed to the `system()` call. This oversight allows attackers to inject shell commands via specially crafted filenames containing metacharacters, such as semicolons.
Discovery and Exploitation
Researchers at Akamai uncovered that many Vivotek legacy cameras lack default password protection, removing initial authentication barriers. Exploiting this vulnerability requires specific conditions:
– The malicious file must be under 5MB.
– Firmware verification must be bypassed.
– The `/usr/sbin/confclient` binary must remain intact.
– Non-standard web server environment variables are present.
– Access is gained through `upload_map.cgi` rather than `file_manager.cgi`.
To exploit this flaw, attackers can create a bash script that generates valid firmware images with appropriate magic bytes (FF V FF FF header and FF K FF FF footer) to circumvent validation checks. By setting environment variables, such as `POST_FILE_NAME=test_firmware.bin; id;`, attackers can trigger command execution as the root user. Proof-of-concept demonstrations have shown the `id` command returning a user ID of 0, indicating root access.
Affected Models
This vulnerability impacts 36 camera models across various product lines, including:
– FD Series: FD8365, FD9165, FD9371
– FE Series: FE9180, FE9191
– IB/IP Series: IB9365, IP9165, IP9171
– MA/MS/TB Series: MA9321, MS9390, TB9330
All affected models run firmware versions from 0100a to 0125c.
Potential Attack Scenarios
An attacker can remotely upload a malicious firmware file with an embedded command in the filename. When processed by the vulnerable `upload_map.cgi` script, the shell metacharacter triggers command execution. The resulting payload executes with root privileges, enabling:
– Complete system compromise
– Lateral movement within the network
– Installation of botnets
– Data exfiltration
Mitigation Strategies
Organizations are urged to take immediate action to mitigate this vulnerability:
1. Firmware Updates: Prioritize updating firmware for affected camera models to the latest versions that address this flaw.
2. Network Segmentation: Isolate legacy camera infrastructure from critical network segments to limit potential exploitation.
3. Intrusion Detection: Deploy intrusion detection signatures to monitor for malicious `upload_map.cgi` requests.
4. Inventory Audits: Conduct thorough audits to identify and assess deployed vulnerable devices.
5. Monitoring: Keep an eye out for suspicious file uploads and POST requests to camera administration interfaces.
Detection Measures
To identify exploitation attempts, organizations can implement network-level detection using the following YARA rule:
“`
rule CVE_2026_22755_Vivotek_upload
{
meta:
description = Detects upload_map.cgi requests with camid parameter
strings:
$path = /cgi-bin/admin/upload_map.cgi
$param = camid=
condition:
all of them
}
“`
Broader Implications
This vulnerability underscores a critical IoT security risk, especially for organizations operating legacy surveillance systems in sectors such as critical infrastructure, healthcare, and enterprise environments. Unauthenticated remote code execution with root privileges can lead to complete device compromise and potential network propagation through botnet-based distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Conclusion
The discovery of CVE-2026-22755 in Vivotek’s legacy camera firmware highlights the importance of regular security assessments and timely updates. Organizations must act swiftly to patch affected devices, implement robust network defenses, and continuously monitor for signs of exploitation to safeguard their surveillance infrastructure.
