# CVE-2020-10881: Memory corruption in Archer A7

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code as root on TP-Link Archer A7 routers via a stack-based buffer overflow in DNS response handling without authentication.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8w5p-3q5j-2w9h

## What is CVE-2020-10881?

CVE-2020-10881 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in TP-Link Archer A7, published on 25 Mar 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of TP-Link Archer A7 Firmware Ver: 190726 AC1750 routers. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of DNS responses. A crafted DNS message can trigger an overflow of a fixed-length, stack-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the root user. Was ZDI-CAN-9660.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-10881?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Tp-Link Ac1750 Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-10881?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-10881 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-10881 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-10881 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in TP-Link Archer A7

- [CVE-2020-28347](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-28347/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-24352](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24352/): Memory corruption in AC1750 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-24353](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24353/): Memory corruption in AC1750 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-24354](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24354/): Integer overflow in AC1750 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-10882](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10882/): Command injection in Archer A7 (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-10881 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-10881 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in TP-Link Archer A7, published on 25 Mar 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-10881 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: TP-Link Archer A7. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10881/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10881/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-10881
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10881
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-10881

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10881/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.