CTIPilot
AI-generated · no human review · verify critical claims against the linked source. how it works →

Zyxel GS1900 switches: out-of-bounds write in the CGI parameter parser that the exploit behind the CVE-2026-7273 KEV listing targets, fixed in the .3C0 builds

cve · CVE-2026-107441

Coverage
1
first 2026-09-22 → last 2026-11-05
Latest activity
2026-11-05
Zyxel GS1900: Binarly says the exploit GreyNoise caught works on the June-fixed builds; install the .3C0…
Peak priority
high
1 high
Targets
public-sector
sectors: public-sector
Sources cited
9
6 hosts

Action items (1)

Do-now tasks recorded on the entries about CVE-2026-107441, newest first. Check the date before acting on an older one.

  • Install each Zyxel GS1900 switch's "…(x).3C0" build now (2.90(AAHL.3)C0 on the GS1900-24, for example), including switches already moved to the June "…(x).2C0" build, which Binarly shows still carries the flaw the recovered exploit targets, and audit and rotate any switch still on its factory-default admin credentials: GreyNoise found 564 of 996 exploited switches (57%) had never had theirs changed, which lets the actor re-enter even after the hashed credential set is rotated.
    2026-09-22CVE-2026-7273 +1

Defender insights

What each entry about CVE-2026-107441 tells a defender to do, newest first.

2026-09-22HIGHexploitedZyxel GS1900: Binarly says the exploit GreyNoise caught works on the June-fixed builds; install the .3C0 builds

Exposure · detection

Story timeline

  1. 2026-09-22CVE-2026-7273 and CVE-2026-107441, Zyxel GS1900 switches: GreyNoise caught a Red Heron-linked actor exfiltrating configurations and hashed root credentials from 996 switches in 48 countries, and Binarly shows its exploit targets a separate flaw that the June fix leaves open; only the .3C0 builds close it
    deep-diveZyxel GS1900: Binarly says the exploit GreyNoise caught works on the June-fixed builds; install the .3C0 builds
ATT&CK techniques (6 across 7 tactics)

6 techniques observed across 1 entry about this entity, derived from entry metadata and body evidence, never asserted without a published entry behind it · pinned to MITRE ATT&CK v20.0 · compare on the matrix · Navigator layer (JSON)

  • Initial AccessValid Accounts: Default Accounts · Exploit Public-Facing Application
  • ExecutionCommand and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell
  • PersistenceValid Accounts: Default Accounts
  • Privilege EscalationValid Accounts: Default Accounts
  • StealthValid Accounts: Default Accounts
  • CollectionData from Local System · Data Staged: Local Data Staging
  • Command and ControlIngress Tool Transfer

Initial Access TA0001

T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1

Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application×1

Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network. The weakness in the system can be a software bug, a temporary glitch, or a misconfiguration.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

Execution TA0002

T1059.004Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell×1

Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution. Unix shells are the primary command prompt on Linux, macOS, and ESXi systems, though many variations of the Unix shell exist (e.g. sh, ash, bash, zsh, etc.) depending on the specific OS or distribution. Unix shells can control every aspect of a system, with certain commands requiring elevated privileges.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

Persistence TA0003

T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1

Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

Privilege Escalation TA0004

T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1

Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

Stealth TA0005

T1078.001Valid Accounts: Default Accounts×1

Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

Collection TA0009

T1005Data from Local System×1

Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

T1074.001Data Staged: Local Data Staging×1

Adversaries may stage collected data in a central location or directory on the local system prior to Exfiltration. Data may be kept in separate files or combined into one file through techniques such as Archive Collected Data. Interactive command shells may be used, and common functionality within cmd and bash may be used to copy data into a staging location.

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

Command and Control TA0011

T1105Ingress Tool Transfer×1

Adversaries may transfer tools or other files from an external system into a compromised environment. Tools or files may be copied from an external adversary-controlled system to the victim network through the command and control channel or through alternate protocols such as ftp. Once present, adversaries may also transfer/spread tools between victim devices within a compromised environment (i.e. Lateral Tool Transfer).

Evidence: 2026-09-22/cve-2026-7273-zyxel-gs1900-red-heron-kev-exploited · ATT&CK page ↗

Entries about Zyxel GS1900 switches: out-of-bounds write in the CGI parameter parser that the exploit behind the CVE-2026-7273 KEV listing targets, fixed in the .3C0 builds (1)

2026-09-22 · view entry permalink →

HIGHCVE-2026-7273 +1exploitedupdatedNATOB2

CVE-2026-7273 and CVE-2026-107441, Zyxel GS1900 switches: GreyNoise caught a Red Heron-linked actor exfiltrating configurations and hashed root credentials from 996 switches in 48 countries, and Binarly shows its exploit targets a separate flaw that the June fix leaves open; only the .3C0 builds close it

CVE-2026-7273 is a stack-based buffer overflow in the CGI program of Zyxel GS1900 series smart-managed switch firmware that Zyxel says lets a LAN-based, unauthenticated attacker execute OS commands through a crafted HTTP request to the web-management interface; Zyxel patched ten models on 2026-06-16, each at its own "…(x).2C0" build (Zyxel PSIRT, 2026-06-16). CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-09-21 (CISA, 2026-09-21), the same day GreyNoise published research on a suspected Chinese-speaking actor whose activity since 7 May 2026 GreyNoise ties to one actor and assesses is the same as or related to Red Heron, which Acronis profiled for rapid n-day weaponisation of a Gitea flaw (Acronis Threat Research Unit, 2026-09-13), based on a shared command-and-control domain, malware family and tradecraft (GreyNoise, 2026-09-21).

Binarly, whose researchers found the Python exploit GreyNoise described in an exposed archive on infrastructure that BleepingComputer ties to Red Heron (BleepingComputer, 2026-11-04), shows that it works without change against all ten "…(x).2C0" builds, because it targets a different flaw: the CGI's request-parameter parser copies a parameter without a size check and never checks the parameter counter before writing (Binarly, 2026-11-03). Zyxel treats it as a separate vulnerability, CVE-2026-107441, which it fixed on 2026-10-22 in the "…(x).3C0" builds of all ten models and disclosed on 2026-11-03 (Zyxel PSIRT, 2026-11-03; Binarly, 2026-11-03). Binarly calls it a zero-day exploited in the wild because the recovered exploit matches the one GreyNoise described; Zyxel's two advisories say nothing about exploitation, CISA's catalog of 2026-11-04 lists CVE-2026-7273 and not the new flaw, and BleepingComputer says it is unclear whether the exploit was built to bypass the June fix (Binarly, 2026-11-03; Binarly, 2026-11-03; BleepingComputer, 2026-11-04; CISA KEV, 2026-11-04).

On or about 17 August 2026 the actor used a PyArmor-obfuscated Python tool with a deterministic single-request mode and an ASLR-brute-force mode averaging roughly 2,048 attempts, and exfiltrated configuration data, networking information and hashed root-level credentials from 996 switches in 48 countries, making the switch's on-device shell fetch a TFTP-delivered collector script and stage the harvested data to a file on the switch (GreyNoise, 2026-09-21). "While the credentials were hashed, 564 of the victims had factory default credentials" (GreyNoise, 2026-09-21), so for the majority of victims the unrotated default password alone gave durable re-entry. The same actor ran a WordPress chain against at least 49 organizations in 29 countries that cost one unnamed Western government more than 18,000 database records (GreyNoise, 2026-09-21).

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the CGI program of the Zyxel GS1900 series switch firmware could allow a LAN-based, unauthenticated attacker to exploit the flaw and potentially execute OS commands via a crafted HTTP request.

Zyxel PSIRT 2026-06-16

The MCA successfully exploited and exfiltrated sensitive data from 996 ZyXEL switches across 48 countries.

While the credentials were hashed, 564 of the victims had factory default credentials.

The adversary is the same or related to “Red Heron” reported on by Acronis based on use of the same command and control (C2) domain, malware family, exploitation of Gitea in July, and other tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

GreyNoise 2026-09-21

The out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the CGI program of the Zyxel GS1900 series switch firmware could allow a LAN-based, unauthenticated attacker to exploit the flaw and potentially execute OS commands via a crafted HTTP request.

Zyxel PSIRT (advisory, CVE-2026-107441) 2026-11-03

so the latest firmware version released as a fix to CVE-2026-7273 is vulnerable to the same exploit, which works without changes.

Binarly (blog) 2026-11-03

While the recovered exploit specifically targeted firmware patched for CVE-2026-7273, it remains unclear whether it was deliberately developed to bypass those updates or exploited a related vulnerability that the earlier patches failed to address.

BleepingComputer 2026-11-04
Updaterun 2026-11-05T0255Z-inteltitleheadlinesummarycvessourcesevidencesourcing_noteactionsbodyclassification

Binarly reports that the Python exploit GreyNoise described, which it found in an exposed archive on infrastructure that BleepingComputer ties to Red Heron (BleepingComputer, 2026-11-04), targets a flaw in the request-parameter parser of the switches' CGI (dispatcher.cgi), not the stack overflow of CVE-2026-7273, and that it works without change against the "…(x).2C0" builds Zyxel advertised as the June fix; Binarly confirmed this against all ten builds on 2026-09-28 (Binarly, 2026-11-03). Zyxel treats the report as a separate vulnerability, CVE-2026-107441, fixed on 2026-10-22 in the "…(x).3C0" builds of GS1900-8, -8HP, -10HP, -16, -24, -24E, -24EP, -24HPv2, -48 and -48HPv2 and disclosed in an advisory of 2026-11-03 that credits Binarly and shows no score or exploitation statement (Zyxel PSIRT, 2026-11-03; Binarly, 2026-11-03). Binarly labels the flaw an in-the-wild zero-day on the strength of the exploit match, scores it 9.8 with a network vector against Zyxel's LAN-based wording, and says it will publish a minimised proof of concept; CISA's catalog of 2026-11-04 lists only CVE-2026-7273 (Binarly, 2026-11-03; Binarly, 2026-11-03; BleepingComputer, 2026-11-04; CISA KEV, 2026-11-04). Switches on the June build are therefore still exposed to the exploit until the "…(x).3C0" build is installed.

vulnerability22 Sep 04:32Zmulti-sourceOpen finding →

Co-occurring entities

Derived: referenced by the same focused operational entries (weekly summaries and report roundups don't count); ×N counts the shared entries.

Where this entity is cited

  • Deep dive1

Source distribution

  • binarly.io2 (22%)
  • cisa.gov2 (22%)
  • zyxel.com2 (22%)
  • acronis.com1 (11%)
  • bleepingcomputer.com1 (11%)
  • greynoise.io1 (11%)

External references

NVD · cve.org · CISA KEV

All cited sources (9)