CVE-2020-10886
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of TP-Link Archer A7 Firmware Ver: 190726 AC1750 routers. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the tmpServer service, which listens on TCP port 20002. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied string before using it to execute a system call. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-9662.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceCommand injection vulnerability in TP-Link Archer A7 routers (firmware 190726) allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the tmpServer service on TCP port 20002. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied strings before they are passed to system call functions.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 190726CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the device modelAccess the router web interface or check the device label to confirm it is a TP-Link Archer A7 (AC1750) routerAffected if The device is not a TP-Link Archer A7, this CVE does not apply
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Check the firmware versionLog into the router administration panel and navigate to Status or System > Firmware Upgrade to view the installed firmware version. Alternatively, use the command line and check via the router's web interface or a network scan that queries the deviceAffected if The firmware version is exactly 190726, indicating the vulnerable version
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Verify if port 20002 is accessibleUse a network port scanner (such as nmap) to check if TCP port 20002 is open and reachable on the router's IP address: nmap -p 20002 <router-ip>Affected if Port 20002 is open and exposed to the network, the tmpServer service is running and potentially exploitable
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Check if tmpServer service is enabledLog into the router admin panel and look for settings related to file sharing, media server, or temporary server features. Check if any service listening on port 20002 is activeAffected if The tmpServer service is enabled and listening on port 20002, the vulnerability is present and exploitable
You are affected if you have a TP-Link Archer A7 router running firmware version 190726 with port 20002 open and the tmpServer service enabled, as this allows unauthenticated command injection.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply vendor-supplied firmware patch when available; until then, restrict network access to port 20002 or disable the tmpServer service if possible via router administration.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-10886 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-10886 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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