Description

Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability in Zyxel Networks WAH7601 allows Read Sensitive Constants Within an Executable. This issue affects WAH7601: through 20.07.2026.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-10T13:20:38.353Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-10T13:20:38.353Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An insertion of hard-coded credentials vulnerability has been identified in the Zyxel Networks WAH7601 mobile hotspot device, specifically allowing the reading of sensitive constants within the compiled executable. This security defect impacts the WAH7601 product for all firmware versions through 20.07.2026. The presence of hard-coded authentication secrets introduces severe risk implications, as unauthorized actors can extract embedded credentials directly from the binary firmware image. Exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to bypass standard authentication mechanisms, potentially granting administrative access or unauthorized privileges depending on the scope of the exposed keys and credentials. The attack capability relies on the extraction and static analysis of the device's executable file or firmware package to harvest sensitive constants. Given that the vulnerability resides within the binary structure of the firmware itself, no complex interception or active network man-in-the-middle positioning is strictly required for the initial credential harvesting phase. Remediation requires applying vendor-supplied firmware updates once available, as hard-coded credential flaws fundamentally undermine the cryptographic and access control posture of embedded Internet of Things and networking hardware.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of this vulnerability stems from the improper software development practice of embedding static, hard-coded credentials and sensitive cryptographic or authentication constants directly into the compiled executable code of the Zyxel Networks WAH7601 firmware. The vulnerable component is the binary executable responsible for managing system access, service authentication, or internal administrative routines within the device operating environment. Specifically, this flaw maps to the weakness of reading sensitive constants within an executable, where static analysis of the binary reveals plaintext strings or poorly obfuscated secrets.\nThe affected product, Zyxel Networks WAH7601, incorporates these hard-coded secrets across firmware versions through 20.07.2026. Because the credentials are statically compiled into the firmware, the attack vector involves obtaining a copy of the firmware image, extracting the filesystem or directly analyzing the compiled ELF binary using reverse engineering tools such as Ghidra, IDA Pro, or the strings utility.\nThe step-by-step attack flow proceeds as follows. First, an adversary acquires the target firmware image for the Zyxel Networks WAH7601 either by downloading it from public vendor repositories or extracting it directly from the physical device. Second, the attacker loads the executable or firmware container into a binary analysis tool to scan for hard-coded strings, cryptographic keys, hard-coded initialization vectors, or administrative password hashes. Third, upon identifying the sensitive constants embedded within the executable code, the attacker isolates the plaintext credentials or reconstructs the authentication secret. Fourth, the attacker leverages the harvested credentials to authenticate against administrative interfaces, management daemons, or restricted service endpoints exposed by the device. Depending on the privilege level associated with the hard-coded secrets, the post-exploitation impact ranges from unauthorized configuration disclosure to full administrative compromise of the WAH7601 device, allowing the attacker to manipulate network traffic, alter device settings, or maintain persistent unauthorized access."
}