TP-Link Gaming Router Vulnerability Exposes Users to Remote Code Attacks
TP-Link Gaming Router Vulnerability Exposes Users to Remote Code Attacks
A critical vulnerability (CVE-2024-5035) has been disclosed in the TP-Link Archer C5400X gaming router, allowing remote code execution.
The Article
A maximum-severity security flaw has been disclosed in the TP-Link Archer C5400X gaming router that could lead to remote code execution on susceptible devices by sending specially crafted requests. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-5035, carries a CVSS score of 10.0. It impacts all versions of the router firmware including and prior to 1_1.1.6. It has been patched in version 1_1.1.7 released on May 24, 2024.
"By successfully exploiting this flaw, remote unauthenticated attackers can gain arbitrary command execution on the device with elevated privileges," German cybersecurity firm ONEKEY said in a report published Monday. The issue is rooted in a binary related to radio frequency testing "rftest" that's launched on startup and exposes a network listener on TCP ports 8888, 8889, and 8890, thus allowing a remote unauthenticated attacker to achieve code execution. While the network service is designed to only accept commands that start with "wl" or "nvram get," ONEKEY found that the restriction could be trivially bypassed by injecting a command after shell meta-characters like ; , & , or, | (e.g., "wl;id;"). Cybersecurity
TP-Link's implemented fix in version 1_1.1.7 Build 20240510 addresses the vulnerability by discarding any command containing these special characters. "It seems the need to provide a wireless device configuration API at TP-Link had to be answered either fast or cheap, which ended up with them exposing a supposedly limited shell over the network that clients within the router could use as a way to configure wireless devices," ONEKEY said.
The disclosure arrives weeks after security flaws were also revealed by the company in Delta Electronics DVW W02W2 industrial Ethernet routers (CVE-2024-3871) and Ligowave networking gear (CVE-2024-4999) that could allow remote attackers to gain remote command execution with elevated privileges. It's worth noting that these flaws remain unpatched due to the devices being no longer actively maintained, making it imperative that users take adequate steps to limit exposure of administration interfaces to reduce the potential for exploitation.
People only buying this for the aesthetic in the first place and it’s pathetic.
Just buy a functional router and a Lego kit like a real adult ffs.
No one diss the gaming demon summoning circle! Sacrifice him!
They also buy it because it is marketed for gamers telling them it gives them an advantage. Which it will if you compare it to a shitty router from 2008. Nowadays any mainstream router will do fine as long as you are within its range. If you really care as a gamer use a wired connection.
While the network service is designed to only accept commands that start with “wl” or “nvram get,” ONEKEY found that the restriction could be trivially bypassed by injecting a command after shell meta-characters like ; , & , or, | (e.g., “wl;id;”).
Whenever I feel like I'm a terrible programmer, I remind myself that there are vast amounts of confident coders out there being paid for code with idiotic mistakes like this and they have no intention of getting any better at it
Frankly " injecting a command after shell-metacharacters" makes it sound much more mystical and arcane than"just use the normal one liner syntax to run 2 commands"
Don't ever buy anything marketed specifically to gamers
As a "gamer" and game developer, this is sound advice.
Yep.
At best, you're paying extra for RGB lighting.
But what about video games :(
Compile it yourself
Donate to developers
On the plus side, this particular router will work fine as a stand for a fondue pot.
Utterly hilarious designs in the router world.
Pro tip: Avoid routers with proprietary firmware.
OpenWrt is a nice alternative that can be installed on many devices.
Leaving consumer routers behind and going the pfSense route is among the best decisions I've ever made. Highly recommended for anyone who isn't afraid to learn some network stuff.
I went with "cheap mikrotik router + cheap used enterprise APs (3x Aruba 325)," and I've been pretty happy.
What hardware you running for pfSense?
I'm running a Pentium G4560 and 8Gb of RAM in a dual NIC Shuttle case. The specs were a total gamble but I have a lot of headroom currently so if I need to do more advanced stuff in the future I can.
My old PC.
Its on proxmox but I've got an i7 8600k 18tb hard drive for frigate / nas, rtx2080ti because where else am I going to put it. 32gb ram. 1000 watt PSU.
Setting up a pfsense router / firewall virtualized in proxmox on my server PC with separate vlans for my iot devices and guest WiFi was tedious, time consuming, challenging, educational, and ultimately worth it. I'm not invincible buy at least I have fucking viability into what's going on in my fucking home network.
I'm doing this myself very soon, honestly looking forwards to it so much 😁
lmao just bought one of these last week! Glad the fix is already out.
And no, I didn't buy it for its looks xD It's actually a decent router that does additional things I needed.
Inside me there are two wolves, one that thinks "gamer" stuff is stupid, and another that thinks this router looks sweet as hell.
Just have to gibbet some dolls on those spikes
I have one that looks just like this. Always worked pretty well for me.
Looks like a Daedric artifact of some sort.
Or like a Split trading station from X4
Hate the look of all these home routers.
Looks like a dead spider
I don't see how this is possible. The router has EIGHT aerodynamic antennas.
Maybe they should have added one or two more..
