Another top router maker accused of firmware having backdoors Chinese giant Zbtlink halts downloads to fix issue

Date:
Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:15:00 +0000

Description:
The company denied allegations but still moved to address them by restricting firmware downloads for 20+ models.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter VulnCheck CTO Jacob Baines reported Zbtlink routers shipped with a builtin backdoor dubbed ENDLESSDOORS
, allowing remote root commands and reverse shells Zbtlink denied malicious intent, calling it an aftersales maintenance feature, but quietly pulled vulnerable firmware and promised patches Researchers warn all firmware images are hijackable; mitigation advice is to replace devices or enforce strict egress controls and treat LAN as untrusted Chinese networking firm Zbtlink
has been accused of shipping its products with a backdoor - and while the company denies the allegations, it has still apparently moved to address the issue.

CTO of cybersecurity company VulnCheck, Jacob Baines, recently published an in-depth report stating a Zbtlink device he runs continuously attempts to reach a command-and-control server on the internet. Zbtlink routers phone home, waiting for orders. Not because they were hacked. Because they were shipped that way. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Detention and escape attempts Baines dubbed the flaw ENDLESSDOORS and says it was uploaded to GitHub in early 2015 and never touched again. It can send the client individual shell commands or tell the client to spawn a reverse bash shell.

The vocabulary of this protocol is two phrases: run this as root, and give me a root shell, he further explained, saying that anyone along the path can hijack the client/server communication. VulnCheck researchers tried it, and apparently - succeeded. You may like TP-Link router owners update now 15 flaws patched to stop hackers hijacking your devices These popular Tenda routers have an unpatched security backdoor which could give hackers access The FBI just remotely reset thousands of home and small office routers

Baines said that every firmware on the companys download page (roughly two dozen images) is all hijackable in the same way, and said the company decided not to responsibly disclose the vulnerability since that assumes the vendor did not intend the behavior. "That assumption doesn't hold here."

In response to the allegations, Zbtlink told The Register VulnCheck mischaracterized the code. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features
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This feature is solely intended for aftersales maintenance and serves no
other purposes, the company told the publication. It is generally retained only on sample units to assist customers with software debugging and will not be included in massproduction shipments.

The Register didnt see it as a credible explanation since, in the meantime, the company posted a warning on its downloads page:

We have detected firmware security vulnerabilities affecting selected router firmware releases. As a precautionary measure, the impacted firmware versions have been temporarily taken down from download channels. Our engineering team is working intensively to develop and validate secured patched firmware. This warning was allegedly posted sometime in the past seven days.

Baines gave a list of suggestions how to mitigate the risk but ended up
saying that for anything carrying real traffic, our advice is to replace the device, or at minimum move it behind strict egress control and treat its LAN as untrusted. The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/another-top-router-maker-accused-of-fir mware-having-backdoors-chinese-giant-zbtlink-halts-downloads-to-fix-issue


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