The US is investigating whether popular home internet routers sold by China’s TP-Link Technologies pose a national security threat and are considering banning them, according to the Wall Street Journal. The probes come after Microsoft linked the devices to a Chinese hacking group.
TP-Link routers have been found to have security flaws and bugs, with some shipping with vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. An office of the Commerce Department has subpoenaed TP-Link as part of its investigation, while the Justice Department is looking into whether the company’s market dominance – accounting for 65% of the US market – is due to selling products at a price lower than they cost to make.
In October, Microsoft linked widespread hacking efforts to a network used by “multiple Chinese threat actors” that relied on compromised devices largely made by TP-Link. However, it’s unclear which specific devices are being targeted.
TP-Link has denied any wrongdoing and claims its devices are secure. But the Indian government had issued a warning in May about a vulnerability affecting some of its Archer devices.
The investigation is ongoing, but it’s likely that the decision on whether to ban TP-Link routers will be made by the incoming Trump administration.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/12/18/popular-internet-routers-made-by-chinas-tp-link-could-be-banned-in-the-us-report-says-heres-what-to-know