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Archer Ax53 FirmwareOperating system · Tp Link

CVE-2026-30816

MEDIUM · 5.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 1.7.1 or later.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
An external control of configuration vulnerability in the OpenVPN module of TP-Link AX53 v1.0 allows an authenticated adjacent attacker to read arbitrary file when a malicious configuration file is processed.  Successful exploitation may allow unauthorized access to arbitrary files on the device, potentially exposing sensitive information.This issue affects AX53 v1.0: before 1.7.1 Build 20260213.

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 AX53 v1.0 router's OpenVPN module suffers from an external control of configuration vulnerability that allows an authenticated adjacent attacker to read arbitrary files on the device by submitting a malicious configuration file. Successful exploitation exposes sensitive information stored on the filesystem.

MitigationUpgrade TP-Link AX53 v1.0 to firmware version 1.7.1 Build 20260213 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Restrict adjacent network access to trusted users only until the patch is applied.

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:<= 1.7.1

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 device model and firmware version
    Access the router's web management interface or check the device label to confirm it is a TP-Link Archer AX53 (AX53) v1.0. Note the current firmware version displayed in the system settings or status page.
    Affected if The device is a TP-Link Archer AX53 or AX53 v1.0 and the firmware version is 1.7.1 or lower, or any version before Build 20260213.
  2. Verify OpenVPN module availability
    Log into the router admin interface and navigate to the Advanced settings or VPN section to confirm whether the OpenVPN module or VPN functionality is present and accessible.
    Affected if The OpenVPN module is present and accessible on the device.
  3. Check for adjacent network access to the router
    Determine if the router's management interface is reachable from the local network (LAN) or if any VPN, remote management, or guest network features allow adjacent attackers to reach the device.
    Affected if The router's admin interface or OpenVPN configuration upload feature is accessible to users on the adjacent network without proper isolation.
  4. Confirm authentication status
    Verify whether default credentials are in use or if the router's admin account is accessible to an adjacent attacker who could log in to access the OpenVPN module.
    Affected if An adjacent attacker can obtain valid credentials or access the router admin panel.

The environment is affected if the device is a TP-Link Archer AX53 v1.0 running firmware version 1.7.1 or lower, the OpenVPN module is enabled, and an attacker with adjacent network access can authenticate to upload a malicious configuration file containing path traversal sequences.

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 a release after 1.7.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade TP-Link AX53 v1.0 to firmware version 1.7.1 Build 20260213 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Restrict adjacent network access to trusted users only until the patch is applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

Archer AX53 v1.0 firmware 1.7.1 Build 20260213 or later

  1. 1. Navigate to TP-Link's official support page for the Archer AX53 at https://www.tp-link.com/
  2. 2. Locate and download firmware version 1.7.1 Build 20260213 or later for the Archer AX53 v1.0
  3. 3. Access the router's web management interface by entering the router's IP address in a web browser
  4. 4. Log in with administrator credentials
  5. 5. Navigate to the System or Administration section, then select Firmware Upgrade
  6. 6. Click on the option to upload the downloaded firmware file
  7. 7. Wait for the firmware upload and installation to complete - do not power off the router during this process
  8. 8. After reboot, verify the firmware version has been updated to 1.7.1 Build 20260213 or later
Caveat Firmware upgrades may temporarily disrupt network connectivity; ensure stable power during upgrade process

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
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2026-30816 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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