Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-52027

RCE in Totolink A3700R Firmware 9.1.2u.5822_b20200513

Published
11 January 2024
Modified
17 June 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 0.017 75th percentile
Risk Priority 82 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-52027 is a critical-severity Command Injection (CWE-77) vulnerability in Totolink A3700R 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 25% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

TOTOlink A3700R firmware version 9.1.2u.5822_B20200513 contains a command injection vulnerability in the NTPSyncWithHost function, tracked as CVE-2023-52027 and assigned CWE-77. The flaw permits unauthenticated remote command execution and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8, reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, and full impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

An attacker with network access to the device can supply crafted input to the affected NTP synchronization handler and execute arbitrary operating-system commands without authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation grants complete control over the router, enabling actions such as configuration changes, traffic interception, or use of the device as an attack pivot.

Public disclosure references detail the vulnerability but do not describe vendor patches or official mitigation steps. The associated EPSS score has remained flat at 0.1549 with no observed rise after publication.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

TOTOlink A3700R v9.1.2u.5822_B20200513 was discovered to contain a remote command execution (RCE) vulnerability via the NTPSyncWithHost function.

CWE(s)

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.
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.
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.003 Windows Command Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution.
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
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.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-7160Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2023-46574Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2024-22663Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2023-52029Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2023-52028Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2023-50147Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2023-48192Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2023-52030Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2024-37640Same product: Totolink A3700R
CVE-2024-37633Same product: Totolink A3700R

Affected Assets

totolink
a3700r firmware
9.1.2u.5822_b20200513

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 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation can discover command-construction flaws before deployment.

Input validation directly stops construction of commands from untrusted data containing special elements.

Secure engineering principles include proper neutralization and safe command construction practices.

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.

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.

prevents

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

prevents

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

prevents

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

none

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

References