TP-Link Archer AX21 prior 1.1.4 Build 20230219 Web Management Interface locale popen Country os command injection

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability labeled as critical has been found in TP-Link Archer AX21. Affected is the function popen of the file /cgi-bin/luci;stok=/locale of the component Web Management Interface. Executing a manipulation of the argument Country can lead to os command injection. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2023-1389. The attack can be executed remotely. Additionally, an exploit exists. A worm is spreading and is exploiting this vulnerability automatically. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as very critical was found in TP-Link Archer AX21. This vulnerability affects the function popen of the file /cgi-bin/luci;stok=/locale of the component Web Management Interface. The manipulation of the argument country with an unknown input leads to a os command injection vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-78. The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

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.

The weakness was released 03/16/2023. The advisory is shared for download at tenable.com. This vulnerability was named CVE-2023-1389 since 03/14/2023. Technical details and also a public exploit are known. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 03/14/2025). The MITRE ATT&CK project declares the attack technique as T1202.

It is possible to download the exploit at exploit-db.com. It is declared as attacked. A worm is spreading, which is automatically exploiting this vulnerability. This issue was added on 05/01/2023 to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog with a due date of 05/22/2023:

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Upgrading to version 1.1.4 Build 20230219 eliminates this vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at Exploit-DB (51677). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Vendor

• TP-Link

Name

• Archer AX21

License

• commercial

Website

• Vendor: https://www.tp-link.com/

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