CVE-2023-1389

Description

TP-Link Archer AX21 (AX1800) firmware versions before 1.1.4 Build 20230219 contained a command injection vulnerability in the country form of the /cgi-bin/luci;stok=/locale endpoint on the web management interface. Specifically, the country parameter of the write operation was not sanitized before being used in a call to popen(), allowing an unauthenticated attacker to inject commands, which would be run as root, with a simple POST request.

References

https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/ballista-botnet-campaign-exploits-2023-vuln-tp-link-routers

https://securityaffairs.com/175278/malware/ballista-botnet-exploits-unpatched-tp-link-flaw.html

https://www.securityweek.com/new-ballista-iot-botnet-linked-to-italian-threat-actor/

https://www.catonetworks.com/blog/cato-ctrl-ballista-new-iot-botnet-targeting-thousands-of-tp-link-archer-routers/

https://therecord.media/ballista-botnet-tp-link-archer-routers

https://thehackernews.com/2025/03/ballista-botnet-exploits-unpatched-tp.html

https://securityaffairs.com/172345/malware/mirai-botnet-targets-digiever-ds-2105-pro-dvrs.html

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-botnet-exploits-vulnerabilities-in-nvrs-tp-link-routers/

https://hackread.com/androxgh0st-botnet-integrate-mozi-iot-vulnerabilities/

https://www.cloudsek.com/blog/mozi-resurfaces-as-androxgh0st-botnet-unraveling-the-latest-exploitation-wave

https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/july-2024s-most-wanted-malware-remcos-and-ransomhub-run-rampant/

https://www.akamai.com/blog/security-research/2024-redtail-cryptominer-pan-os-cve-exploit

https://blog.xlab.qianxin.com/catddos-derivative-en/

https://www.fortinet.com/blog/threat-research/botnets-continue-exploiting-cve-2023-1389-for-wide-scale-spread?&web_view=true

https://isc.sans.edu/diary/rss/30418

https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2023-11

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174131/TP-Link-Archer-AX21-Command-Injection.html

Details

Source: Mitre, NVD

Risk Information

CVSS v2

CVSS v3