CVE-2026-42376

Critical

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.

SeverityCritical
CVSS9.8
Exploit probability—
ProductDlink Dir-456u Firmware
PublishedMay 4, 2026
First seenMay 4, 2026

How to fix

Sources list no fixed version or patch link for this vulnerability.

Affected products

ProductAffected versionsFixed in
dlink dir-456u_firmwareNo range specified—

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