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Mallory
HighPublic exploit

OS Command Injection in Four-Faith F3x24/F3x36 apply.cgi

IdentifiersCVE-2024-12856CWE-78· Improper Neutralization of Special…

CVE-2024-12856 is an operating system command injection vulnerability affecting at least Four-Faith industrial router models F3x24 and F3x36, including at least firmware version 2.0. The flaw is exposed over HTTP via the /apply.cgi endpoint when the system time is modified using submit_type=adjust_sys_time. According to the provided content, the injection point is the adj_time_year parameter, which is insufficiently sanitized and can be abused to append and execute arbitrary shell commands on the underlying operating system. The issue is described as post-authentication, but the same firmware is also reported to ship with default credentials; if those credentials remain unchanged, attackers can effectively exploit the flaw remotely without meaningful authentication. Public reporting and in-the-wild exploitation include use of crafted POST requests with HTTP Basic authentication to trigger command execution and launch reverse shells. The vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2019-12168, which also affects /apply.cgi but uses a different submit_type and parameter.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows remote execution of arbitrary OS commands on the affected router with the privileges of the vulnerable web application, likely enabling full device compromise. Observed abuse includes reverse shell execution and deployment of Mirai-derived and other botnet payloads such as RondoDox. A compromised device can be enrolled into DDoS botnets, used as a stealth proxy, leveraged for persistence and follow-on malware installation, and potentially used as a foothold for lateral movement into connected operational or enterprise networks. Because default credentials may be present, internet-exposed devices can be at risk of effectively unauthenticated remote compromise.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until patches are confirmed and deployed, remove affected routers from direct internet exposure, restrict access to the web management interface to trusted management networks or VPN-only administration, and block external access to /apply.cgi where possible. Disable or tightly limit HTTP administrative access, enforce strong unique credentials instead of factory defaults, and monitor for exploit attempts against POST requests to /apply.cgi containing submit_type=adjust_sys_time or adj_time_year. Network defenders can also deploy IDS/IPS detections such as the referenced Suricata logic for this exploit path and monitor for suspicious outbound connections or reverse-shell behavior from the routers.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply vendor-provided firmware updates or fixes from Four-Faith as soon as they are available for affected models and firmware branches. Because the provided content does not specify fixed versions, affected organizations should confirm patched firmware availability directly with Four-Faith. In parallel, immediately change any default credentials, audit all administrative accounts, and review exposed devices for signs of compromise, including unexpected processes, reverse shells, or botnet malware. If exploitation is suspected, isolate and reimage or replace the device, rotate credentials, and inspect adjacent network segments for follow-on activity.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.

VALID 1 / 1 TOTALView more in app
CVE-2024-12856MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains an exploit for CVE-2024-12856, targeting Four-Faith router models F3x24 and F3x36 (firmware 2.0+). The exploit leverages an OS command injection vulnerability in the router's HTTP interface (apply.cgi) to execute arbitrary commands as an authenticated user. The main script, 'exploit.py', is a Python program that sends a crafted POST request to the router, injecting a payload that establishes a reverse shell to the attacker's machine using netcat. The attacker must provide the router's address, their own listener IP/port, and (optionally) credentials (default admin:admin). The exploit is operational and provides a working reverse shell if the target is vulnerable and accessible. The repository is structured simply, with a README, the exploit script, and a .gitattributes file. No detection or fake code is present.

nu113dDisclosed Jan 11, 2025pythonnetwork
EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
Four-FaithF3x24application
Four-FaithF3x24 Firmwareoperating_system
Four-FaithF3x36application
Four-FaithF3x36 Firmwareoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware11

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures1

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity1

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.