In late 2023, a critical vulnerability was patched in RouterOS versions prior to 6.49.10 and 7.11.2 . The internal tracking number for this patch, leaked via beta changelogs, was ROSNEW-64710 . Security researchers correlated this with a WinBox (MikroTik's management protocol) vulnerability allowing an unauthenticated attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary commands as the system user.
Because the password in the user.dat file is hashed, the exploit typically follows these steps:
Unlike many router vulnerabilities that drop you into a restricted shell (e.g., /bin/ash with no privileges), the WinBox service runs with high integrity levels. Successful exploitation of 64710 grants the attacker the equivalent of the system user. From here, the attacker can:
Once executed, the attacker gains a root shell, enabling them to hijack traffic, monitor data, or include the device in a botnet. Mitigation and Remediation
