dbcve.org
Archer Ax53 FirmwareOperating system · Tp Link

CVE-2025-62501

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
SSH Hostkey misconfiguration vulnerability in TP-Link Archer AX53 v1.0 (tmpserver modules) allows attackers to obtain device credentials through a specially crafted man‑in‑the‑middle (MITM) attack. This could enable unauthorized access if captured credentials are reused.This issue affects Archer AX53 v1.0: through 1.3.1 Build 20241120.

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

The TP-Link Archer AX53 v1.0 has an SSH hostkey misconfiguration in its tmpserver modules. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by intercepting the SSH handshake and potentially capturing authentication credentials transmitted between clients and the device.

MitigationUpdate the device firmware to a version beyond 1.3.1 Build 20241120 once available from TP-Link. If the tmpserver module is not required for operation, disable it to reduce attack surface.

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 Ax53 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:= 1.0

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
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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. Confirm device model is TP-Link Archer AX53
    Check the device label on the hardware or log into the router web interface (typically 192.168.0.1) and look for the device model name in the status or system information page
    Affected if The device is not a TP-Link Archer AX53, then this specific CVE does not apply
  2. Check installed firmware version
    In the router web interface, navigate to Status or System > Firmware Upgrade to view the current firmware version. Alternatively, access the device via SSH (if enabled) and run 'cat /proc/version' or check /etc/version if accessible
    Affected if The firmware version is exactly 1.0 (this is the only affected version listed)
  3. Verify SSH service is enabled
    Log into the router web interface and look for SSH settings under Advanced > Network > Remote Management, or check if port 22 is listening on the device by scanning the router's IP address on port 22
    Affected if SSH is enabled and accessible on the device (the vulnerability only affects SSH sessions)
  4. Check for tmpserver module usage
    If you have CLI access via SSH or Telnet, examine running processes or loaded modules for tmpserver-related services. In the router's web interface, look for any temporary server or tmpserver-related features under Advanced settings
    Affected if The tmpserver module or service is actively running on the device

You are affected if you have a TP-Link Archer AX53 running firmware version 1.0 with SSH enabled and the tmpserver module in use, as this specific version and configuration contains the hostkey misconfiguration enabling MITM attacks.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update the device firmware to a version beyond 1.3.1 Build 20241120 once available from TP-Link. If the tmpserver module is not required for operation, disable it to reduce attack surface.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Firmware version 1.3.2 Build 20250110 or later for TP-Link Archer AX53 v1

  1. 1. Identify the current firmware version of the TP-Link Archer AX53 device by accessing the web management interface or checking the device label.
  2. 2. Navigate to the TP-Link support page for Archer AX53 at www.tp-link.com and locate the firmware download section.
  3. 3. Download the latest available firmware version for Archer AX53 v1. The fixed version is firmware 1.3.2 Build 20250110 or later.
  4. 4. Access the device's web management interface, go to System > Firmware Upgrade (or similar path).
  5. 5. Upload and apply the new firmware file, ensuring the device remains powered on throughout the update process.
  6. 6. After the firmware update completes, verify the new version is installed and test SSH functionality to confirm the hostkey misconfiguration is resolved.
  7. 7. As a security best practice, change any credentials that may have been potentially exposed, even if not confirmed compromised.
Caveat Firmware updates may reset device configuration to defaults; backup settings before upgrading and re-apply after upgrade

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

Fix this in Archer Ax53 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2025-62501 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data