CVE-2022-23970
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 · uneditedASUS RT-AX56U’s update_json function has a path traversal vulnerability due to insufficient filtering for special characters in the URL parameter. An unauthenticated LAN attacker can overwrite a system file by uploading another file with the same file name, which results in service disruption.
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 · moderate confidenceThe ASUS RT-AX56U router contains a path traversal vulnerability in its update_json function. The function fails to properly sanitize special characters in URL parameters, allowing an unauthenticated attacker on the local network to manipulate file paths and overwrite system files, causing service disruption.
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= 3.0.0.4.386.45898CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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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Confirm router model is RT-AX56ULog into the router web interface and check the device model under System > Device Information, or check the product label on the device itselfAffected if The device is an ASUS RT-AX56U router
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Check installed firmware versionAccess router admin panel at http://192.168.1.1, navigate to Administration > Firmware Version, and compare the displayed version to 3.0.0.4.386.45898Affected if Firmware version equals exactly 3.0.0.4.386.45898
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Verify management interface is accessible from LANFrom a device on the local network, attempt to access the router login page at http://192.168.1.1 or the router's LAN IP addressAffected if The router web interface is reachable from the local network without VPN or special access
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Check if WAN/remote management is enabledIn router settings, go to Administration > System > Remote Management (or WAN Access) and verify whether access from WAN is permittedAffected if Remote management or WAN access to the admin interface is enabled, allowing external network attackers to reach the vulnerable function
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Inspect for unauthorized file modificationsReview router system logs under System Log or Traffic Monitor for unusual POST requests to /update_json or attempts to write to system directoriesAffected if Logs show unexpected file write operations or path traversal patterns in HTTP requests
You are affected if you are running an ASUS RT-AX56U with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.45898 and the router management interface is accessible from your local network or remotely.
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 the vendor-supplied firmware patch when available. Until then, restrict LAN access to the router's management interface, disable remote management features, and monitor for unauthorized access attempts.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,544.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-23970 — 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-2022-23970 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
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