CVE-2025-29659: Critical Remote Command Execution Vulnerability in Yi IOT XY-3820

Overview

In this blog post, we will dissect a critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-29659, which poses a significant threat to organizations utilizing the Yi IOT XY-3820 6.0.24.10. This vulnerability can enable potential threat actors to execute arbitrary commands remotely, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage. Given the severity of this vulnerability, understanding its mechanics and applying appropriate mitigation measures is of paramount importance to prevent potential cyber incidents.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-29659
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Yi IOT XY-3820 | 6.0.24.10

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability resides in the “cmd_listen” function within the “cmd” binary of the Yi IOT XY-3820 device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted packets to the target system, which could then be processed by the “cmd_listen” function. This can result in arbitrary command execution, potentially leading to a full system compromise.

Conceptual Example Code

Consider the following as a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. The following pseudo-shell command represents a malicious payload that an attacker might send to the vulnerable endpoint:

$ echo 'malicious_command' | nc target_device_IP cmd_listen_port

In this example, ‘malicious_command’ is an arbitrary command intended for execution on the target device. ‘nc’ is a networking utility for reading from and writing to network connections using TCP or UDP. The ‘target_device_IP’ and ‘cmd_listen_port’ stand for the IP address and listening port of the target device, respectively.

Mitigation and Recommendations

The most recommended mitigation measure for this vulnerability is to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the interim, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation measure. These systems can monitor and potentially block suspicious activities and malicious traffic patterns related to this vulnerability.
Additionally, organizations are advised to disable any unnecessary services on the device, limit the network exposure of the Yi IOT XY-3820 device, and isolate it within the network as much as possible to minimize the potential attack surface.