D-Link DSL/DIR/DNS Authentication Bypass via DNS Configuration Endpoint
Multiple D-Link DSL/DIR/DNS devices contain an authentication bypass and improper access control vulnerability in the dnscfg.cgi endpoint that allows an unauthenticated attacker to access DNS configuration functionality. By directly requesting this endpoint, an attacker can modify the device’s DNS settings without valid credentials, enabling DNS hijacking (“DNSChanger”) attacks that redirect user traffic to attacker-controlled infrastructure. In 2019, D-Link reported that this behavior was leveraged by the "GhostDNS" malware ecosystem targeting consumer and carrier routers. All impacted products were subsequently designated end-of-life/end-of-service, and no longer receive security updates. Exploitation evidence was observed by the Shadowserver Foundation on 2025-11-27 (UTC).