CVE-2023-53974VulnerabilityPublished 22 Dec 2025

CVE-2023-53974: D-Link DSL-124 Wireless N300 ADSL2+ · Missing Authentication

Affects D-Link DSL-124 Wireless N300 ADSL2+Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 07:57 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

8.8High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 44% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: High
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files of the vulnerable system to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: High: There is a total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all information within the Vulnerable System being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact. For example, an attacker steals the administrator's password, or private encryption keys of a web server.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

1. Immediately restrict access to the router’s management interface by disabling remote management or limiting it to trusted IP addresses within the internal network. 2. If available, apply firmware updates or patches provided by D-Link addressing this vulnerability; monitor vendor channels for updates. 3. Replace affected devices with newer models that have secure authentication mechanisms for configuration access if patches are unavailable. 4. Implement network segmentation to isolate routers from critical internal systems and reduce attack surface. 5. Monitor network traffic for unusual POST requests targeting router configuration endpoints, using IDS/IPS solutions. 6. Change all default and previously used router credentials after mitigation to prevent unauthorized access. 7. Educate network administrators about the risks of exposing management interfaces and enforce strict access controls. 8. Regularly audit network devices for firmware versions and known vulnerabilities to maintain security hygiene.

Description

D-Link DSL-124 ME_1.00 contains a configuration file disclosure vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to retrieve router settings through a POST request. Attackers can send a specific POST request to the router's configuration endpoint to download a complete backup file containing sensitive network credentials and system configurations.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-53974 can be substantial. The disclosure of router configuration files compromises network confidentiality by exposing Wi-Fi passwords and ISP credentials, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized network access. This can lead to interception of sensitive communications, unauthorized use of network resources, and pivoting to internal systems. The integrity of network configurations is also at risk, as attackers could modify settings if they gain further access, disrupting business operations or enabling persistent threats. Availability could be indirectly affected if attackers disrupt network services or cause misconfigurations. Organizations relying on the D-Link DSL-124 router, particularly small to medium enterprises or home offices using this device as their primary gateway, are vulnerable. Given the router’s typical deployment in broadband access scenarios, the threat extends to critical infrastructure sectors relying on stable internet connectivity. The lack of authentication and ease of exploitation increase the likelihood of attacks, especially in environments where remote management interfaces are exposed to the internet or poorly segmented networks exist.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 22 Dec 2025, 22:13 UTC

Technical details

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