Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
PR:L confirmed by vendor vector; C:L added because credential extraction constitutes a confidentiality impact the vendor's C:N omits; I:H retained for integrity bypass consequence.
Primary rating from Vendor (zte).
CVSS VectorVendor: zte
Lifecycle Timeline
1DescriptionCVE.org
By accessing unencrypted information in the device firmware, an attacker can obtain credentials related to the integrity verification of a specific application function on the device.
AnalysisAI
Hardcoded cryptographic credentials embedded in unencrypted ZTE ZXHN F680 router firmware allow a low-privilege authenticated network attacker to extract integrity verification keys and subsequently bypass application integrity checks on the device. Seven specific firmware versions across the V9.0.10 P1, P4, and P6 branches are confirmed affected per the ZTE advisory. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Technical ContextAI
CWE-321 (Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key) identifies the root cause: cryptographic credentials used to verify the integrity of a specific device application function are stored statically in unencrypted firmware. Because these keys are hardcoded rather than device-unique, extracting them from one ZXHN F680 unit yields keys valid across all units running the same firmware build. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:zte:f689:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* identifies ZTE's F689/F680 product line - an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) device used for FTTH fiber broadband connections, typically ISP-provisioned. The CVSS vector AV:N/PR:L implies the unencrypted firmware data is accessible via a network-reachable interface (e.g., the device web management portal or CLI) with low-privilege authentication, not requiring physical flash extraction.
RemediationAI
Consult the ZTE vendor advisory at https://support.zte.com.cn/zte-iccp-isupport-webui/bulletin/detail/2171542593031803093 for the official firmware update. No specific patched firmware version number is confirmed in the available input data; contact your ISP or ZTE directly to obtain an updated firmware build beyond the affected V9.0.10 P1/P4/P6 releases. As a compensating control pending patching, restrict management interface access (web UI, SSH, Telnet) to trusted internal IP ranges only and disable any remote management features exposed to the WAN interface, which reduces the attack surface for the PR:L network vector. Additionally, rotate any low-privilege device credentials to non-default values, as default credentials are a common enabler for this class of attack. Be aware that restricting management access may impact ISP remote provisioning capabilities.
TLS credential exposure in ZTE ZXHN F680 fiber gateway firmware allows an adjacent-network attacker to extract unencrypt
Root password hash exposure in ZTE F689 firmware allows a physical attacker to extract credential material stored in cle
Same weakness CWE-321 – Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-54410
GHSA-p494-g4pp-qhm5