Two representatives of the House Select Committee on China have called for TP-Link to be investigated over possible national security risks.
Republican Representative John Moolenaar and Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi cited previous examples of TP-Link device vulnerabilities being used to snoop on European government officials.
The known vulnerabilities in TP-Link devices are a “glaring national security issue” the pair stated in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo (via Reuters).
China looking to target Wi-Fi routers
“…We request that Commerce verify the threat posed by (China-affiliated small office/home office) routers —particularly those offered by the world’s largest manufacturer, TP-Link,” the letter stated.
Microsoft, alongside the US and allies, released intelligence that suggested China sought to take advantage of Wi-Fi routers to launch clandestine attacks on US critical infrastructure. However a later statement from the Justice Department said that many of the routers cited in the intelligence were manufactured by Cisco and Netgear.
TP-Link released a statement saying that their routers products are not sold in the US, and that their Wi-Fi routers do not have security vulnerabilities.
Additionally, the Chinese Embassy said it hopes US authorities will “have enough evidence when identifying cyber-related incidents, rather than make groundless speculations and allegations.”
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) last year pointed out a potential vulnerability in TP-Link routers that could be abused to execute remote code, with US security company Check Point also finding evidence that a Chinese state-sponsored cyber group spied on European officials by installing a firmware implant loaded with malware.
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benedict.collins@futurenet.com (Benedict Collins)
