CVE-2025-58455: TP-Link Archer AX53 Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2025-58455 Overview

CVE-2025-58455 is a heap-based buffer overflow [CWE-122] affecting the tmpserver modules in TP-Link Archer AX53 v1.0 routers. The flaw allows an authenticated attacker on an adjacent network to send a specially crafted packet whose length exceeds the maximum expected value. Exploitation can cause a segmentation fault or potentially lead to arbitrary code execution on the device. The issue affects Archer AX53 v1.0 firmware up to and including version 1.3.1 Build 20241120.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation can corrupt heap memory in tmpserver, enabling denial of service or arbitrary code execution on the router with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Affected Products

• TP-Link Archer AX53 hardware revision v1
• TP-Link Archer AX53 firmware v1.0 through 1.3.1 Build 20241120
• tmpserver modules running on affected Archer AX53 devices

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-03 - CVE-2025-58455 published to NVD
• 2026-03-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-58455

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the tmpserver modules of the Archer AX53 firmware. These modules process inbound network packets but fail to validate that the length field of incoming data stays within the bounds of the destination heap buffer. When the supplied length exceeds the expected maximum, the module writes beyond the allocated heap region.

This out-of-bounds write corrupts adjacent heap metadata and data structures. At minimum, the corruption triggers a segmentation fault and crashes the service. With carefully crafted payloads, an attacker can manipulate heap chunks to influence control flow and execute arbitrary code on the router.

Exploitation requires authenticated access and adjacent-network positioning, such as connectivity to the same Wi-Fi or LAN segment as the device. Attack complexity is high because the attacker must shape the heap reliably and bypass any inherent layout randomization on the embedded platform.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checking on a length value supplied in a network packet processed by tmpserver. The code uses the attacker-controlled length to copy data into a fixed-size heap buffer without validating that the length does not exceed the buffer capacity, classifying the flaw under [CWE-122] Heap-based Buffer Overflow.

Attack Vector

An authenticated adjacent attacker sends a specially crafted packet to the tmpserver service on the Archer AX53. The packet contains a length field larger than the maximum the parser expects. The vulnerable handler trusts this value and copies the corresponding payload into a heap-allocated buffer, overflowing it. The resulting corruption can crash the service or be weaponized for code execution on the embedded Linux environment.

No public proof-of-concept code or in-the-wild exploitation has been documented. See the Talos Intelligence Report TALOS-2025-2289 for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-58455

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected restarts or crashes of the tmpserver process on Archer AX53 routers
• Segmentation fault entries in router system logs referencing tmpserver
• Anomalous inbound packets to internal management services with oversized length fields
• New or unexplained authenticated sessions on the router from adjacent-network clients

Detection Strategies

• Monitor router system logs and syslog forwards for repeated tmpserver faults or service restarts
• Inspect LAN and Wi-Fi traffic for malformed packets directed at router management services with abnormal length headers
• Correlate router authentication events with subsequent service crashes to identify possible exploitation attempts
• Track firmware version and build strings across managed Archer AX53 devices to identify versions through 1.3.1 Build 20241120

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward router logs to a centralized logging or SIEM platform for retention and analysis
• Alert on repeated authentication failures followed by service instability on network infrastructure
• Baseline normal traffic patterns toward the router management plane and flag deviations
• Periodically audit firmware levels of edge networking devices against vendor advisories

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-58455

Immediate Actions Required

• Inventory all TP-Link Archer AX53 v1 devices and identify any running firmware at or below 1.3.1 Build 20241120
• Apply the latest available firmware from TP-Link as soon as it is published for the Archer AX53 v1 platform
• Restrict management and adjacent-network access to the router to trusted users only
• Rotate router administrator credentials and disable any unused authenticated services

Patch Information

Refer to the TP-Link FAQ on Archer AX53 and the TP-Link Archer AX53 Firmware Download page for the latest firmware updates addressing CVE-2025-58455. Verify the firmware build is newer than 1.3.1 Build 20241120 before deployment.

Workarounds

• Segment the router from untrusted Wi-Fi clients by isolating guest networks and disabling client-to-client communication
• Enforce strong, unique administrator credentials to raise the bar for authenticated access
• Disable remote management features and limit administrative access to a dedicated wired management VLAN
• Use WPA3 or WPA2-Enterprise where possible to reduce the population of authenticated adjacent clients

# Configuration example
# Verify current firmware version via the router CLI or web UI
# Web UI: System Tools -> Firmware Upgrade -> check current build
# Replace build string below with the version observed on the device
CURRENT_BUILD="1.3.1 Build 20241120"
FIXED_BUILD="<vendor-provided-fixed-build>"

# If CURRENT_BUILD <= 1.3.1 Build 20241120, download and apply the latest
# firmware from the official TP-Link Archer AX53 v1 download page and
# reboot the device to complete the update.