Severe Vulnerabilities Found in D-Link Home Routers

Summary

Six vulnerabilities, five considered high-severity and one critical, have been identified in D-Link’s DIR-865L routers (CVE-2020-13782, CVE-2020-13783, CVE-2020-13784, CVE-2020-13785, CVE-2020-13786, CVE-2020-13787 ). Beta firmware updates have been released for three of the six flaws, though the device was deemed end-of-life (EOL) for US consumers in early 2016. Palo Alto’s Unit 42 researchers who had identified the flaws assess that the vulnerabilities may also affect newer models that share a common code base. When combined, the flaws could allow threat actors to upload malicious files, exfiltrate data, delete essential files, sniff network traffic, and steal session cookies which could be used to run arbitrary commands. Home routers are often considered a “set and forget” device and are often only replaced when the device becomes inoperable. As teleworking becomes the new norm for many individuals, it is vital that end users check their home devices to ensure they are supported and receiving updates. Any EOL devices should be replaced with supported products.

Recommendations

The NJCCIC recommends DIR-865L users to consider replacing with a newer model, or if not possible, manually apply beta patches immediately as the fixes will not be automatically applied due to EOL. For additional guidance, the NJCCIC provides tips to configure and secure home routers here. Further details can be found in the Bleeping Computer article.