CVE-2026-42376
D-Link DIR-456U Hardware Revision A1 (End-of-Life, EOL) contains a hardcoded telnet backdoor.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.46%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
D-Link DIR-456U Hardware Revision A1 (End-of-Life, EOL) contains a hardcoded telnet backdoor. The device starts a telnet daemon at boot via /etc/init0.d/S80telnetd.sh with the username "Alphanetworks" and the static password "whdrv01_dlob_dir456U" read from /etc/config/image_sign. The custom telnetd binary accepts a -u user:password flag, and the custom login binary uses strcmp() to validate credentials. Successful authentication grants an unauthenticated attacker on the local network a root shell with full administrative control. The device has reached End-of-Life (EOL) and will not receive patches.
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 0.46% probability · 39th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-798
- Affected
- dlink/dir-456u firmware
- Source
- 33c584b5-0579-4c06-b2a0-8d8329fcab9c
References
- https://www.securin.io/zero-day/cve-2026-42376-hardcoded-telnet-backdoor-in-d-link-dir-456u-a1-end-of-life-Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.securin.io/zero-day/cve-2026-42376-hardcoded-telnet-backdoor-in-d-link-dir-456u-a1-end-of-life-Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.