Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-27078

RCE in Tp-Link Tl-Mr3020 Firmware 1.0

Public PoCRCECommand Injection
Published
23 March 2023
Modified
25 February 2025
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.025 83th percentile
Risk Priority 79 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-27078 is a critical-severity Command Injection (CWE-77) vulnerability in Tp-Link Tl-Mr3020 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 17% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV 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.

A command injection vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-27078 affects the TP-Link MR3020 router running firmware version 1_150921. The flaw resides in the tftp endpoint and stems from insufficient input validation, allowing an attacker to inject and execute operating-system commands through specially crafted network requests. It carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, and no required authentication or user interaction.

An unauthenticated remote attacker can send a malicious request to the tftp endpoint and obtain arbitrary command execution on the device. Successful exploitation grants full control over the router, enabling actions such as altering configuration, intercepting traffic, installing persistent malware, or using the device as a pivot point into attached networks.

Public references consist of a GitHub repository containing technical details and proof-of-concept material; no vendor advisory, firmware patch, or official mitigation guidance is referenced in the available sources. The associated EPSS score remains low, with a current value of 0.0699 and a peak of 0.0704, indicating limited observed exploitation interest since disclosure.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A command injection issue was found in TP-Link MR3020 v.1_150921 that allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted request to the tftp endpoint.

CWE(s)
CWE-77

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
attack.mitre.org →
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.003 Windows Command Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.008 Network Device CLI Execution
Adversaries may abuse scripting or built-in command line interpreters (CLI) on network devices to execute malicious command and payloads.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-1389Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-43138Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-31701Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2025-14756Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2025-15607Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2021-4045Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-33538Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-27836Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-27837Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-43137Same vendor: Tp-Link

Affected Assets

tp-link
tl-mr3020 firmware
1.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.2.3
  • V1.2.5
  • V1.2.8
  • V1.2.9

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.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly require input validation and neutralization that prevent command injection.

DE.CM-09 partial match
prevents

Runtime monitoring of software and data can detect anomalous command execution resulting from injection.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

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.

A.8.28 Secure coding mostly match
prevents

Secure coding standards require proper escaping and parameterization of commands, directly eliminating CWE-77.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing in development catches command-injection vulnerabilities before release.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates input validation and command construction practices that directly prevent command injection.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against injection flaws including command injection.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
prevents

Secure architecture principles reduce the attack surface but do not prescribe the specific neutralization techniques needed.

A.8.31 Separation of development, test and production environments none match
none

Environment separation limits the blast radius of an exploited command injection but does not prevent the flaw itself.

References