CVE-2026-102812: Hardcoded AES-128 Key and Fixed IV in Configuration Backup Encryption in TP-Link RE305 and Archer C7

Severity: medium (CVSS 6.9 v4.0)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-10-27 · updated 2026-10-28
Weakness: CWE-321

Description

A hard-coded cryptographic key vulnerability exists in the user-configuration backup mechanism of TP-Link RE305 V3 and Archer C7 V5. A fixed AES-128 key and initialization vector are embedded in the firmware configuration-management component. An attacker who obtains an affected configuration backup file may extract the cryptographic material from the firmware and use it to decrypt the backup. Successful exploitation may disclose sensitive configuration information contained in a backup file, including administrator passwords and Wi-Fi credentials.

Affected products

TP-Link Systems Inc. Archer C7 v5: before 1.3.1 Build 20260821 Rel. 41256 — fixed in 1.3.1 Build 20260821 Rel. 41256
TP-Link Systems Inc. RE305 v3: before 1.1.8 Build 20260921 Rel. 42853 — fixed in 1.1.8 Build 20260921 Rel. 42853

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: TP-Link Systems Inc. Archer C7 v5 1.3.1 Build 20260821 Rel. 41256; TP-Link Systems Inc. RE305 v3 1.1.8 Build 20260921 Rel. 42853. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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