If you have an Asus router, you need to patch it now or risk being hacked

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https://www.techradar.com/pro/if-you-have-an-asus-router-you-need-to-patch-it-now-or-risk-being-hacked

Asus router update includes a fix five years in the making

Asus has pushed out a firmware update affecting many of its router models, and is urging customers to either apply the update immediately, or to restrict WAS access until they can.

In a statement, the company noted that, “If you choose not to install this new firmware version, we strongly recommend disabling services accessible from the WAN side to avoid potential unwanted intrusions,” which includes remote access from WAN, port forwarding, DDNS, VPN server, DMZ, port trigger.

The firmware update addresses no fewer than nine CVEs, including three from 2023, five from 2022, and one dating back as far as 2018. A number of other vulnerabilities and issues were also fixed as part of the motion…

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sheldon, Cybertooth

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routers that have new firmware patches to fix these issues:

GT6
GT-AXE16000
GT-AX11000 PRO
GT-AXE11000
GT-AX6000
GT-AX11000
GS-AX5400
GS-AX3000
XT9
XT8
XT8 V2
RT-AX86U PRO
RT-AX86U
RT-AX86S
RT-AX82U
RT-AX58U
RT-AX3000
TUF-AX6000
TUF-AX5400

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sheldon

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Interesting  I have  a RT-AX3000 and CVE-2022-26376 is listed as being fixed in July 2022.  Not listed in today’s update on the device’s update page, but listed in Asus page your referred to.  The article you referenced said that was important part of today’s update.  Strange.  Anyway thanks for the info and just updated

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My router is on that list and yet no new firmware shows as available either through the router’s own upgrade facility or on the product support page. Both of those are in agreement about what the latest firmware version is and I’m already running it. That version is approximately a month old.

Guess I get to keep checking every day now until they finally get around to posting it.

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The last time I updated the firmware on my RT-AX82U, the update failed and it “bricked” it for a few days.

Tried the Reset & Factory reset via WPS switch.   Only made things worse after re-entering the SSID data over and over.

As a last resort, I forced a firmware update by connecting PC to wi-fi hotspot from cell & then manually downloading the firmware file from the ASUS download center.     I then used the FIRMWARE RESTORATION tool.       My router was manufactured in 2021, so I used the 11/21 version.

After that, my ethernet and Wi-Fi worked, albeit without the 5ghz band and Wi-Fi being slow.

So, needless to say, I’m very leery to try that drama again since I do not have a Test environment, it’s pure Production & kiils my smart-home and streaming TVs.

 

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Hi!
Yeah, it would be a problem to set all that up on a new router.

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dataman1701

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I am going to attempt another firmware update Tuesday since Wi-Fi isn’t stable.

Any suggestions?

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PKCano wrote:

Hi!
Yeah, it would be a problem to set all that up on a new router.

Firmware update went fine.    5g still out, though.

 

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With the firmware update, the security is probably OK. The 2.4ghz broadcasts farther, the 5ghz is faster on the LAN internally.
If you find you can’t live with just the 2.4ghz and it’s too slow, I’d consider replacing it even if it would be a pain to resetup.

In the past, I have hooked a new router up directly to a PC and mirrored the settings of the old one (except for the WiFi SSID, since two broadcasting the same would create a problem). That way, when you swap it out and swap the WiFi SSID to the new one, everything just reconnects (unless the connection on a device is based on the router MAC ID).

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It’s possible that your router is not well (no 5GHz) and this coincided with your firmware update?

cheers, Paul

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dataman1701

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PKCano wrote:

With the firmware update, the security is probably OK. The 2.4ghz broadcasts farther, the 5ghz is faster on the LAN internally.
If you find you can’t live with just the 2.4ghz and it’s too slow, I’d consider replacing it even if it would be a pain to resetup.

In the past, I have hooked a new router up directly to a PC and mirrored the settings of the old one (except for the WiFi SSID, since two broadcasting the same would create a problem). That way, when you swap it out and swap the WiFi SSID to the new one, everything just reconnects (unless the connection on a device is based on the router MAC ID).

I can live without 5ghz, just wondering if it was an incorrect setting or not.

 

When I swapped my old Netgear for the ASUS, I had set it up with the exact same SSID credentials.      Everything connected seamlessly,  except,  of course, for the devices I had previously set up on 5ghz band.

 

Seems stable,  so far (don’t want to jinx it)!

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dataman1701 wrote:

As a last resort, I forced a firmware update by connecting PC to wi-fi hotspot from cell & then manually downloading the firmware file from the ASUS download center. I then used the FIRMWARE RESTORATION tool. My router was manufactured in 2021, so I used the 11/21 version.

I think this has something to do with the changes to single band. Perhaps wrong firmware got flashed. But I’m sure you don’t want to do that again.
Check on Gibson Research’s ShieldsUp to be sure your router is secure.

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