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I'm studying Info Security and was poking around my home router (it's a cheap one) with a python script trying to brute force the admin password for the web interface (it uses HTTP basic and the server is micro_httpd).

I discovered that when passing the auth header in with the initial request I was able to bypass the rate limiting feature on the router and hit it with 10k / min requests no problem, eventually getting the password out.

Does this sound like a genuine vulnerability worth a report or this to be expected of this level device?

Its the kind of router that might be in use at cafe hotspots and the like so I could easily see how it could be exploited if people use a reasonably weak password for the admin interface.

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  • this is a good reminder that a router's security depends on password strength. just like wifi itself.
    – dandavis
    Sep 17, 2018 at 15:33

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Check if there is a new firmware for you router. If there is, get latest version and test again (the manufacturer may have patched it already). If the vulnerability still exists or there is no version newer than yours, then yes, report it.

Usually, in the mid-to-low models, updates are more rare and vulnerabilities are patched only at large time intervals.

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There is no reason not to report it, but unfortunately problems like these are to be expected in cheep and even medium priced products. Wifi router security is currently not in a good state. That being said, there is no reason not to strive to improve that, so IMHO report away.

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  • Even expensive SOHO routers often have issues like this.
    – forest
    Sep 18, 2018 at 3:25

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