High-severity vulnerabilities affect a wide range of Asus router models

• DSL-N10_C1
• DSL-N10_D1
• DSL-N10P_C1
• DSL-N12E_C1
• DSL-N16P
• DSL-N16U
• DSL-AC52
• DSL-AC55

TWCERT/CC advises owners of these devices to replace them.

Asus has advised all router owners to regularly check their devices to ensure they’re running the latest available firmware. The company also recommended users set a separate password from the wireless network and router-administration page. Additionally, passwords should be strong, meaning 11 or more characters that are unique and randomly generated. Asus also recommended users disable any services that can be reached from the Internet, including remote access from the WAN, port forwarding, DDNS, VPN server, DMZ, and port trigger. The company provided FAQs here and here.

There are no known reports of any of the vulnerabilities being actively exploited in the wild. That said, routers have become a favorite haven for hackers, who often use them to hide the origins of their attacks. In recent months, both nation-state espionage spies and financially motivated threat actors have been found camping out in routers, sometimes simultaneously. Hackers backed by the Russian and Chinese governments regularly wage attacks on critical infrastructure from routers that are connected to IP addresses with reputations for trustworthiness. Most of the hijackings are made possible by exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities or weak passwords.