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Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives have asked the Commerce Department to launch an investigation into the Chinese manufacturer of mass-market network equipment TP-Link for the risks of using its products for national security.
A letter from representatives of the House Committee on China, John Moulinard (Republican Party) and Raja Krinshnamouthri (Democratic Party), dated Tuesday, August 13, was obtained by Reuters.
The request for an investigation was motivated by the fact that vulnerabilities in the firmware of TP-Link Wi-Fi access points are widely exploited by attackers during attacks on government institutions in many countries.
Congressmen called the threat a "blatant national security issue". The request is addressed to the Department of Commerce because it is this department that has the authority to restrict or even completely prohibit the sale of any goods produced in countries declared enemies of the United States.
Alexandra Alper, a Reuters journalist, described the letter as "a sign of growing concern that Beijing may be using Chinese-made routers and other equipment in cyber attacks on American governments and businesses".
However, according to Reuters, the Volt Typhoon campaign, which targeted U.S. government agencies and critical infrastructure backed by a Chinese pro-government cyber group, exploited vulnerabilities in Cisco and NetGear network equipment. At the same time, client devices were used not only located in the perimeter of the attacked organizations, but also for private users.
In an official statement, TP-Link representatives said that they do not sell routers in the United States through official channels, and their products do not have uncovered vulnerabilities.
A letter from representatives of the House Committee on China, John Moulinard (Republican Party) and Raja Krinshnamouthri (Democratic Party), dated Tuesday, August 13, was obtained by Reuters.
The request for an investigation was motivated by the fact that vulnerabilities in the firmware of TP-Link Wi-Fi access points are widely exploited by attackers during attacks on government institutions in many countries.
Congressmen called the threat a "blatant national security issue". The request is addressed to the Department of Commerce because it is this department that has the authority to restrict or even completely prohibit the sale of any goods produced in countries declared enemies of the United States.
Alexandra Alper, a Reuters journalist, described the letter as "a sign of growing concern that Beijing may be using Chinese-made routers and other equipment in cyber attacks on American governments and businesses".
However, according to Reuters, the Volt Typhoon campaign, which targeted U.S. government agencies and critical infrastructure backed by a Chinese pro-government cyber group, exploited vulnerabilities in Cisco and NetGear network equipment. At the same time, client devices were used not only located in the perimeter of the attacked organizations, but also for private users.
In an official statement, TP-Link representatives said that they do not sell routers in the United States through official channels, and their products do not have uncovered vulnerabilities.
