CVE-2026-22228 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting TP-Link Archer BE230 v1.2 wireless access points. The flaw arises when an authenticated user with high privileges restores a specially crafted configuration file containing an excessively long parameter. This crafted input causes the device to consume excessive resources, leading to a denial-of-service condition where the device becomes unresponsive. Recovery requires a manual reboot. The vulnerability affects firmware versions prior to 1.2.4 Build 20251218 rel.70420. The attack vector requires local or remote authenticated access with high privileges, no user interaction is needed, and the vulnerability does not impact confidentiality, integrity, or availability beyond device availability. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 6.8, reflecting medium severity due to the requirement for privileged authentication and the limited scope of impact. No public exploits have been reported, and no patches are linked yet, indicating that organizations should monitor vendor updates closely. The vulnerability highlights the risk of improper input validation and resource management in embedded device configuration handling.

For European organizations using TP-Link Archer BE230 v1.2 devices, this vulnerability could lead to temporary network outages due to device unavailability, impacting business continuity and potentially disrupting critical communications. Since the attack requires high-privilege authentication, the risk is higher if internal credential management is weak or if management interfaces are exposed to untrusted networks. Denial-of-service on access points can degrade network performance and availability, affecting user productivity and operational processes. In sectors such as healthcare, finance, or critical infrastructure, even brief outages can have significant operational and regulatory consequences. However, the lack of impact on confidentiality or integrity limits the risk of data breaches. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk of targeted attacks or insider threats exploiting this vulnerability.

1. Immediately restrict access to device management interfaces to trusted personnel and networks only, using network segmentation and firewall rules. 2. Enforce strong authentication and credential management policies to prevent unauthorized high-privilege access. 3. Monitor for unusual configuration restore activities or attempts to upload configuration files. 4. Regularly check for and apply firmware updates from TP-Link, especially the release 1.2.4 Build 20251218 rel.70420 or later, which addresses this vulnerability. 5. Implement configuration file validation and integrity checks before restoration to detect malformed or malicious inputs. 6. Maintain incident response plans to quickly reboot or replace affected devices if a denial-of-service occurs. 7. Consider deploying network monitoring tools to detect device unresponsiveness or resource exhaustion patterns indicative of exploitation attempts.