MikroTik RouterOS through 6.42 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files and remote authenticated attackers to write…

published 2018-08-02 8 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2018-6729

cvss: 9.1; version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev: Exploited; added 2021-12-01
epss: 96.0%; EPSS 96.0% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 99.8%
public exploits: 2; Metasploit, Exploit-DB

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.

Patch / fix

cisa required action Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Timeline

2018-08-02 First public exploit (Metasploit auxiliary/gather/mikrotik_winbox_fileread)
2018-08-02 Published
2021-12-01 Added to CISA KEV
2022-06-01 CISA patch deadline
2025-02-04 CISA SSVC: exploitation active

Known exploited

Added: 4 y ago (2021-12-01)
Patch by: 2022-06-01 (4 y ago)
Ransomware: Not known
Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Vendor, product: MikroTik, RouterOS
CISA name: MikroTik Router OS Directory Traversal Vulnerability

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: Active, exploited in the wild
Automatable: yes
Technical impact: total
Assessed: 21 mo ago (2025-02-04)

Exploit prediction

95.98% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.8% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

Metasploit auxiliary/gather/mikrotik_winbox_fileread Mikrotik Winbox Arbitrary File Read metasploit auxiliary, normal rank, 2018-08-02
EDB-45578 MicroTik RouterOS < 6.43rc3 - Remote Root remote, 2018-10-10
github.com https://github.com/BigNerd95/WinboxExploit referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
github.com https://github.com/tenable/routeros/blob/master/bug_hunting_in_routeros_derbycon_2018.pdf referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
github.com https://github.com/BasuCert/WinboxPoC referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
github.com https://github.com/tenable/routeros/tree/master/poc/cve_2018_14847 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
n0p.me https://n0p.me/winbox-bug-dissection/ referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
github.com https://github.com/tenable/routeros/tree/master/poc/bytheway referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
CISA ADP	3.1	9.1	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
NVD	3.1	9.1	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
CNA	3.1	9.1	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
NVD	2.0	6.4	AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

Classification

Weakness

CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

References

exploit-db.com /exploits/45578/
exploit, third-party-advisory, vdb-entry
github.com /BigNerd95/WinboxExploit
exploit, mitigation, third-party-advisory
github.com /tenable/routeros/blob/master/bug_hunting_in_routeros_derbycon_2018.pdf
broken-link, exploit, third-party-advisory
github.com /BasuCert/WinboxPoC
exploit, mitigation, third-party-advisory
github.com /tenable/routeros/tree/master/poc/cve_2018_14847
exploit, third-party-advisory
n0p.me /winbox-bug-dissection/
exploit, third-party-advisory
github.com /tenable/routeros/tree/master/poc/bytheway
exploit, third-party-advisory
mikrotik.com /supportsec/winbox-vulnerability
vendor-advisory
cisa.gov /known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-14847
government-resource, us-government-resource

Sources

CVE List CVE-2018-14847
NVD CVE-2018-14847

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary