Security Resilience

CVE-2023-27078

RCE in Tp-Link Tl-Mr3020 Firmware 1.0

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 84th percentile
Risk Priority 79 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

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, ranked in the top 16% 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)

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)

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-31701Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2025-15607Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-1389Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2024-48288Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-43138Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2021-4045Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-27837Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2025-14756Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-27836Same vendor: Tp-Link
CVE-2023-31700Same vendor: Tp-Link

Affected Assets

tp-link
tl-mr3020 firmware
1.0

Mitigating Controls

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.

blocks

A.8.25 mandates secure SDLC practices including secure coding guidelines, security requirements, checkpoints, testing (scans/penetration), and developer training that reduce command injection defects, but leaves a minority slice (e.g. incomplete implementation of those practices, outsourced development without full assurance, or post-SDLC changes) where the weakness can still arise and be exploitable.

blocks

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

blocks

A.8.27 mandates security-by-design principles (e.g. distrust external input, secure session control, data validation/sanitization, least privilege) and design reviews that can stop command injection from being introduced, but this is only a minority slice of CWE-77 because the weakness can still arise in code that bypasses those principles, in non-reviewed components, or in runtime injection vectors the architecture review does not reach.

prevents

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

finds

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

Hardening callouts derived

DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.

  • No fine-grained STIG row for CWE-77, a class-level weakness, and none of its children carries one either.

References