During the Pwn2Own Toronto hacking competition in December, several competitors were able to exploit the TP-Link Archer A21 (AX1800) WiFi router. These exploits netted the white hat teams a cool $25k for their efforts.
But it wasn’t only the judges watching the goings on at the competition. Starting last week, the Zero Day Initiative threat-hunting team observed new exploit attempts from the Mirai botnet looking to take advantage of the weaknesses found during the competition.
TP-Link released patches for the vulnerability, CVE-2023-1389 last month and the criminals want to take advantage of those that are slow to patch.
Takeaways:
Prompt patching is a critical part of keeping your organization safe.
We are battling bad actors, not dumb ones. They are more than happy to be fast followers.
If you have a TP-Link Archer A21 (AX1800) WiFi router, be sure its firmware has been updated.
Sources: Zero Day Initiative, Bleeping Computer, Security Affairs
Definitions
Pwn - A term used in the hacking community to indicate someone has gained control over a computer system, website, or network.
White hat hacker - A computer security specialist who uses their skills for ethical purposes, such as identifying vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to improve their security.
Black hat hacker - A computer hacker who violates computer security for personal gain or malicious purposes. They often engage in illegal activities, such as stealing sensitive information, disrupting systems, or spreading malware.
Botnet - A network of internet-connected devices that have been infected with malware and can be controlled remotely by a cybercriminal. These devices, which can include computers, smartphones, and IoT devices, are used to carry out various malicious activities, such as DDoS attacks, spam campaigns, and data theft.
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