CVE-2023-1389
Command Injection in Tp-Link Archer Ax21 Firmware ≤ 1.1.4
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-1389 is a high-severity Command Injection (CWE-77) vulnerability in Tp-Link Archer Ax21 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 0.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2023-1389 is a command injection vulnerability affecting TP-Link Archer AX21 (AX1800) wireless routers running firmware versions prior to 1.1.4 Build 20230219. The flaw resides in the web management interface at the /cgi-bin/luci;stok=/locale endpoint, where the country parameter supplied to the write operation is passed directly to a popen() call without sanitization, enabling arbitrary command execution.
An unauthenticated attacker with adjacent network access can exploit the issue by sending a crafted POST request containing shell commands in the country field. Successful exploitation grants the attacker root-level code execution on the device, allowing full control over the router's configuration, traffic, and connected clients.
Public advisories and exploit references, including entries from Tenable and CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicate that the primary mitigation is to update the device firmware to version 1.1.4 Build 20230219 or later, which addresses the unsanitized input path.
The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 8.8 and an EPSS score that has reached 0.93, and its presence in the CISA KEV catalog confirms observed real-world exploitation.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-23645
Vulnerability Data
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…
more
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.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 01 May 2023
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
—
V1.2.3V1.2.5V1.2.8V1.2.9
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require input validation and neutralization that prevent command injection.
Runtime monitoring of software and data can detect anomalous command execution resulting from injection.
Identifying recorded vulnerabilities enables remediation of command-injection flaws before exploitation.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure coding standards require proper escaping and parameterization of commands, directly eliminating CWE-77.
Security testing in development catches command-injection vulnerabilities before release.
Secure development life cycle mandates input validation and command construction practices that directly prevent command injection.
Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against injection flaws including command injection.
Secure architecture principles reduce the attack surface but do not prescribe the specific neutralization techniques needed.
Environment separation limits the blast radius of an exploited command injection but does not prevent the flaw itself.