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TP-Link AXE75 EUVDEUVD-2026-51669

| CVE-2026-9044 HIGH
OS Command Injection (CWE-78)
2026-07-31 TPLink GHSA-4v8f-3c7h-9xrw
8.5
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: TPLink
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Recon
    Obtain router admin credentials via reuse or phishing
  2. Delivery
    Gain adjacent network access (LAN or WLAN)
  3. Exploit
    Authenticate to AXE75 V1 management interface
  4. Install
    Navigate to VPN module config import
  5. C2
    Upload crafted VPN config with injected shell metacharacters
  6. Execute
    Trigger command injection during config parsing
  7. Impact
    Execute arbitrary OS commands with root privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization OS command sanitization, avoid shell exec
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires two hard prerequisites: the attacker must be on the same network segment as the target router (adjacent network, AV:A - remote internet-based attackers are excluded), and must hold authenticated administrator-level access to the TP-Link AXE75 V1 management interface (PR:H - low-privilege or unauthenticated users cannot exploit this). The specific attack trigger is the VPN client configuration import feature within the VPN module; exploitation is not possible without access to this functionality. The primary limiting factors are the authentication barrier (PR:H) and network adjacency requirement: routers with unique strong admin passwords are protected against credential-reuse attacks, and attackers without physical or logical presence on the LAN or WLAN cannot reach the management interface. Exploitation does not require any user interaction beyond the attacker's own administrative session.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.5 with vector AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L reflects a meaningful but constrained threat. Two signals significantly limit real-world risk: the adjacent network vector (AV:A) restricts attackers to the same network segment, and the high privilege requirement (PR:H) demands prior administrative authentication - meaning this is a post-compromise escalation or insider-threat scenario rather than an initial access vector. AC:L and AT:N confirm exploitation itself is mechanically straightforward once prerequisites are met. Full C/H/I:H/VA:H impact on the router is consistent with root-level command execution on an embedded device. Subsequent-system impact (SC:L/SI:L/SA:L) reflects that downstream network segments may be partially affected - traffic interception or rerouting is plausible once the router is under attacker control. EPSS data is not available in the input; KEV status is absent, indicating no confirmed active exploitation. No POC code is referenced. Combined, this is a real-severity vulnerability with a narrow exploitation window constrained by authentication and network adjacency.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has obtained administrator credentials - through credential reuse, phishing, or a default-password attack - and is connected to the same network segment as the AXE75 V1 logs into the router management interface and navigates to the VPN module. The attacker uploads a crafted VPN client configuration file containing embedded shell metacharacters (e.g., semicolons, backticks, or pipes) in a configuration field. The router's VPN processing code passes the unsanitized value to an OS command interpreter, executing the attacker's injected commands with root-level privileges.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 1.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jul 31, 2026

OS command injection in the VPN module of TP-Link Archer AXE75 V1 routers allows an adjacent, authenticated attacker with administrator-level access to achieve full device compromise by importing a specially crafted VPN client configuration file. Improper filtering of special characters (CWE-78) in configuration input permits injection of arbitrary OS commands, granting an attacker complete control over the device including configuration integrity, network routing, and service availability. No public exploit identified at time of analysis; vendor-released patch is available.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released firmware update for the TP-Link Archer AXE75 V1 immediately; the patched firmware is available at https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/archer-axe75/v1/#Firmware. Consult the vendor advisory at https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/5215/ for specific patched version numbers, as the exact fixed version is not enumerated in available data. The exact fix version number should be confirmed directly from the TP-Link download page before deployment. As compensating controls while patching, restrict the router management interface to trusted hosts only and disable VPN client configuration import functionality if it is not actively required - this directly removes the attack surface without affecting core routing operation. Enforce unique, strong administrative credentials to prevent credential-reuse attacks that would satisfy the PR:H prerequisite. Do not expose the management interface to untrusted LAN segments or guest networks.

Affected VersionsENISA

AXE75 V1 0 <1.5.6 Build 20260623

Affects your stack

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability (CWE-78, Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command) resides in the VPN module of the TP-Link Archer AXE75 V1 consumer router. The root cause is a failure to sanitize special shell metacharacters in data parsed from VPN client configuration files before passing it to an underlying OS command interpreter - a classic unsanitized input reaching a privileged execution context. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:tp-link_systems_inc.:axe75_v1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* confirms the flaw affects the V1 hardware revision across all firmware versions prior to the patched release. The VPN subsystem on embedded routers typically runs with elevated OS privileges, meaning injected commands execute in a high-privilege context with no additional boundary to cross.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (TPLink) PRIMARY 8.5 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L
vuln.today AI 6.8 MEDIUM

Adjacent vector and high privileges reflect on-segment admin access requirement; unchanged scope since subsequent-system impact is marginal (SC:L/SI:L/SA:L in 4.0).

3.1 AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L

Primary rating from Vendor (TPLink).

CVSS VectorVendor: TPLink

Attack Vector
Adjacent
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
High
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
Low
Subsequent system: Integrity
Low
Subsequent system: Availability
Low

DescriptionCVE.org

An OS command injection vulnerability exists in the VPN module of TP-Link AXE75 V1 routers. This vulnerability allows an adjacent, authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the device by importing a specially crafted VPN client configuration file. The issue arises from improper filtering of special characters.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may enable an attacker to gain full control of the affected device, potentially compromising configuration integrity, network security, and service availability.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

TP-Link Archer AXE75 V1 routers contain a critical command injection vulnerability in the VPN module that allows authenticated administrators to achieve full device compromise through a malicious configuration file. Organizations deploying these router models face risk of network infrastructure takeover, routing manipulation, and potential service interruption if the device is compromised by an insider or threat actor with administrative credentials.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
1.0%
Top 41% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
consumer-grade Wi-Fi 6E router, limited enterprise deployment
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 1.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Controlled
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

43
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +42
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.

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