U.S. officials are reportedly considering banning China-based networking and connected device manufacturer TP-Link over potential national security concerns linked to its home internet routers, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed official sources.
The consideration, first reported by the WSJ, comes after two U.S. lawmakers urged the Biden Administration to look into the manufacturer and its affiliates for potential national security risks. TP-Link is the top seller of Wi-Fi routers internationally by unit volume, according to research firm IDC.
Legislators cited known vulnerabilities in TP-Link firmware and instances of its routers being exploited in cyberattacks. Now, officials from the Commerce, Defense and Justice departments are looking into the matter, and TP-Link routers may be banned from being sold in the U.S. as early as next year, the WSJ reports.
In addition, the Commerce Department even subpoenaed the company while the Defense Department launched its investigation into Chinese-manufactured routers earlier this year, the WSJ reports.
A cybersecurity vulnerability alone doesn’t mean a router is implicated in a national security concern, as responsible tech companies typically disclose vulnerabilities and simultaneously release patches. TP-Link has about 400 recorded software vulnerabilities dating back to 2012 in a national database of technology security vulnerabilities maintained by the nonprofit MITRE Corp., a nonprofit organization funded by the U.S. government.
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However, other U.S.-based TP-Link networking competitors have just as many vulnerabilities, if not more. For example, Cisco has over 6,600 reported vulnerabilities in the database.
Given that TP-Link is a Chinese company as tensions rise between China and the U.S., this may be a move aimed at removing a possible attack vector since TP-Link networking products are so prominent in the U.S.
TP-Link has exhibited at several industry trade shows, including CEDIA Expo and ISE.
In addition to networking products, TP-Link makes smart home devices such as light switches, smart plugs, smart lights, cameras, hubs, plugs, vacuums and more.
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