HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-15556

CRITICAL

CVE-2018-15556

CWE-287Published: June 27, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The Quantenna WiFi Controller on Telus Actiontec WEB6000Q v1.1.02.22 allows login with root level access with the user "root" and an empty password by using the enabled onboard UART headers.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-15556 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-287): Authentication bypass vulnerabilities allow attackers to access protected resources without valid credentials.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

actiontec2 product(s)

web6000q firmwareweb6000q

Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153262/Telus-Actiontec-WEB6000Q-Privilege-Escalation.html

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153262/Telus-Actiontec-WEB6000Q-Privilege-Escalation.html

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1

All References (10)

→

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153262/Telus-Actiontec-WEB6000Q-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153262/Telus-Actiontec-WEB6000Q-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-15556

CVSS Score9.8 / 10

SeverityCRITICAL

WeaknessCWE-287

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedJun 27, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-287)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2018-15556 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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