CVE-2018-14847 MikroTik RouterOS: file path flaw
In plain words: The program can be tricked into reading or writing files outside the folder it should stay in. Leaks files such as passwords and settings, or overwrites important ones.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Jun 1, 2022
What to do
- Install MikroTik's security update for RouterOS. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- MikroTik Router OS Directory Traversal Vulnerability
- Product
- MikroTik RouterOS
- CISA description
- MikroTik RouterOS through 6.42 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files and remote authenticated attackers to write arbitrary files due to a directory traversal vulnerability in the WinBox interface.
- Type of flaw
- File path flaw (CWE-22)
- Confirmed exploited
- Dec 1, 2021
- US federal patch deadline
- Jun 1, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2018-14847 ·
Questions about CVE-2018-14847
Is CVE-2018-14847 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2018-14847 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Dec 1, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2018-14847?
Install MikroTik's security update for RouterOS. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2018-14847?
Only if you use MikroTik RouterOS. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.