U.S. Lawmakers Call for Investigation into TP-Link Over Potential National Security Threats

Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party have urged the Department of Commerce to investigate the Chinese Wi-Fi router manufacturer TP-Link Technologies, due to concerns about its potential ties to Chinese state-sponsored hacking activities.

TP-Link, a major global player in Wi-Fi product manufacturing, is headquartered in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and sells over 160 million products annually across more than 170 countries. As the leading provider of small office/home office (SOHO) routers in the United States, TP-Link's products are widely used in various environments, including critical places like on U.S. military bases, where they are sold to service members and their families.

The lawmakers' concerns are rooted in the possibility that TP-Link routers, due to their Chinese origins, could be compromised by state-sponsored hackers affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi highlighted an atypical abundance of vulnerabilities in TP-Link products and their potential to be exploited under China's strict national security laws. These laws could compel Chinese companies to cooperate with government demands for data access, raising the risk that U.S. data could be handed over to Chinese intelligence.

TP-Link suspicions

This is not the first time TP-Link products have been linked to cybersecurity incidents. Last year, security researchers uncovered that PRC cyber military forces had utilized TP-Link routers in a hacking campaign targeting government officials in Europe. Some opt to translate the existence of a large number of security flaws in these products as “purposefully planted backdoors,” since most users do not apply firmware updates frequently, allowing a massive attack surface for those who know where to look.

TP-Link's products have garnered a significant share of the U.S. market, and their presence in military installations further amplifies the risks, according to the lawmakers. They cited a recent report by a former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner, which noted that TP-Link products have been frequently cited for cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have also raised alarms about the threats posed by Chinese Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, like the Volt Typhoon, which have been known to exploit SOHO routers, including those from TP-Link, to compromise U.S. infrastructure.

Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi's letter to Secretary Raimondo calls for an assessment of the national security risks associated with TP-Link routers and a determination of whether the Department of Commerce's Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) authorities should be used to mitigate these risks. The lawmakers have requested a detailed response by August 30, 2024, outlining Raimondo's findings and the measures that will be taken to address the potential threats.

The investigation could lead to significant implications for TP-Link's operations in the U.S. and might set a precedent for how the U.S. government handles other Chinese technology companies with similar concerns. This latest scrutiny of TP-Link echoes previous actions taken by the U.S. government against other Chinese technology firms, such as Huawei and ZTE, which were effectively banned from U.S. markets over similar concerns. Both companies were accused of posing significant national security risks due to their alleged ties to the Chinese government and potential for espionage. These bans resulted in the companies being prohibited from supplying equipment to U.S. telecom networks, marking a strong precedent for the current investigation into TP-Link.

Users of TP-Link routers, particularly those in sensitive roles or environments, should consider enhancing their network security by updating their router firmware regularly, disabling remote management features, and considering alternative products that have been vetted for security risks.