dbcve.org
Archer C1200 FirmwareOperating system · Tp Link

CVE-2023-38563

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 230508 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Archer C1200 firmware versions prior to 'Archer C1200(JP)_V2_230508' and Archer C9 firmware versions prior to 'Archer C9(JP)_V3_230508' allow a network-adjacent unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary OS commands.

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 confidence

This is a command injection vulnerability in TP-Link Archer C1200 and Archer C9 routers. A network-adjacent unauthenticated attacker can send specially crafted requests to the device that allow execution of arbitrary operating system commands due to improper input validation in the firmware.

MitigationUpdate the router firmware to Archer C1200(JP)_V2_230508 or later for C1200 models, and Archer C9(JP)_V3_230508 or later for C9 models. If these specific regional builds are unavailable, apply any later stable firmware version from TP-Link's official support page.

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
Archer C1200 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 230508
Archer C9 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 230508

CVSS 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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the device model
    Locate the device label on the router or log into the web management interface to confirm the exact model number (Archer C1200 or Archer C9).
    Affected if The device is an TP-Link Archer C1200 or Archer C9 model.
  2. Check the installed firmware version
    Log into the router web interface (typically at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), navigate to the Status or System settings page, and record the firmware version displayed.
    Affected if The firmware version is less than 230508 (for example, 230301, 221218, etc.).
  3. Verify web management interface accessibility
    Attempt to access the router login page from outside your local network or check the router's Remote Management settings under Advanced > Network > Internet to see if remote access is enabled.
    Affected if The router web interface is accessible from the WAN (internet) side, which exposes it to network-adjacent attackers.
  4. Review available network services
    Use a network scanner or check the router's port forwarding/ firewall settings to identify open services (HTTP/HTTPS on WAN interface).
    Affected if HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443) is open to the WAN interface.

Your environment is affected if you are running an Archer C1200 or Archer C9 router with firmware version below 230508, especially if the web management interface is accessible from the WAN side.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 230508 or later
Fixed in 230508
Interim mitigation

Update the router firmware to Archer C1200(JP)_V2_230508 or later for C1200 models, and Archer C9(JP)_V3_230508 or later for C9 models. If these specific regional builds are unavailable, apply any later stable firmware version from TP-Link's official support page.

Recommended fix High confidence

Archer C1200(JP)_V2_230508 or later / Archer C9(JP)_V3_230508 or later

  1. 1. Identify the exact model number of your TP-Link device (Archer C1200 or Archer C9)
  2. 2. Navigate to the official TP-Link support page at www.tp-link.com and locate the firmware download section for your model
  3. 3. Download the fixed firmware version '230508' or later - for Archer C1200 use 'Archer C1200(JP)_V2_230508' or later, for Archer C9 use 'Archer C9(JP)_V3_230508' or later
  4. 4. Access the device's web management interface by entering the device's IP address in a web browser
  5. 5. Navigate to the 'System' or 'Administration' section, then to 'Firmware Upgrade'
  6. 6. Click 'Browse' or 'Choose File' and select the downloaded firmware file
  7. 7. Click 'Upgrade' or 'Update' to begin the firmware update process
  8. 8. Wait for the upgrade to complete - do not power off the device during this process
Caveat Standard firmware upgrade may reset configuration to defaults; back up current settings before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Archer C1200 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-38563 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-38563 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data