CVE-2023-1389: TP-Link Archer AX-21 Command Injection Vulnerability

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name

TP-Link Archer AX-21 Command Injection Vulnerability

Vendor

TP-Link

Product

Archer AX21

Added to the catalog

2023-05-01

Due date for US federal agencies

2023-05-22

Weaknesses

CWE-77

Catalog version

2026.10.30

TP-Link Archer AX-21 contains a command injection vulnerability that allows for remote code execution.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.

Links in CISA's notes

• https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/archer-ax21/v3/#Firmware
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-1389

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status

Analyzed

Published

2023-03-15T23:15:09.403

Last modified

2026-06-17T05:27:50.687

Weaknesses

CWE-77

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

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174131/TP-Link-Archer-AX21-Command-Injection.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2023-11 (Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174131/TP-Link-Archer-AX21-Command-Injection.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2023-11 (Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-1389 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:42:08.214Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2023-1389

CVE record

Assigner

tenable

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2023-03-15T00:00:00.000Z

Updated

2025-10-21T23:15:23.352Z

Problem types

Command Injection

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.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2023-11
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174131/TP-Link-Archer-AX21-Command-Injection.html

Read on 2026-11-03T02:02:14.981Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2023/1xxx/CVE-2023-1389.json

Detection rules (SigmaHQ)

SigmaHQ rules whose own tags name this CVE. Each rule page shows the rule as its author published it.

• CVE-2023-1389 Potential Exploitation Attempt - Unauthenticated Command Injection In TP-Link Archer AX21 (status test, level medium)

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

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