TP Link Archer C5 Router Hacking<\/h2>\n

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Today we got our hands on a brand new TP Link Archer C5 router which we will be<\/p>\n

testing for known vulnerabilities such as hidden backdoors and vulnerabilities,<\/p>\n

brute force default passwords and WPS vulnerabilities. In this new WiFi hacking<\/p>\n

tutorial we will be using different tools on Kali Linux 2.0 like Reaver, pixiewps<\/p>\n

and the Aircrack-ng suite to exploit possible vulnerabilities. TP Link is known<\/p>\n

to use easy to break default passwords such as the WPS PIN as default wireless<\/p>\n

password or a password which is derived directly from the MAC address. Especially<\/p>\n

the last one would make it very easy to retrieve the password because the MAC address<\/p>\n

is not meant to be secret and is actually send with every single wireless packet send<\/p>\n

from the router. With a packet analyser like Wireshark it is very easy to retrieve<\/p>\n

MAC addresses from sending and receiving devices, including the router.<\/p>\n

In this tutorial we\u2019ll be using<\/p>\n

airodump-ng for this purpose.<\/p>\n

TP Link Archer C5 Router Specifications<\/h2>\n

The TP Link Archer C5 Router is a consumer grade router priced at<\/p>\n

approximately $70,- dollars and offers a lot of value for the money.<\/p>\n

The router supports the 802.11 ac standard and offers dual band simultaneous<\/p>\n

2.4GHz 300Mbps and 5GHz 867Mbps connections for a total available<\/p>\n

bandwidth of 1.2Gbps. Both IPv4 and IPv6 are supported by the router.<\/p>\n

The TP-Link Archer C5 has the following\u00a0antennas and ports available:<\/p>\n

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• 2 External detachable antenna<\/li>\n
• 1 Gigabit WAN port<\/li>\n
• 4 Gigabit LAN ports<\/li>\n
• 2 USB ports for external devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  The USB ports can be used\u00a0for external devices\u00a0such as storage devices<\/p>\n

  or a shared printer. Something which seems to be a nice feature on the<\/p>\n

  router is the option to install an isolated wireless guest network<\/p>\n

  (with bandwidth control!) separated from your main network.<\/p>\n

  With this feature you don\u2019t have to worry about sharing the password<\/p>\n

  from your main network with guests.<\/p>\n

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  TP Link Archer C5 Front view<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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  TP Link Archer C5 Rear view<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

  TP Link Archer C5 package contents<\/h3>\n

  The contents of the package included:<\/p>\n

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  • AC1200 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router Archer C5<\/li>\n
  • 2 detachable antennas<\/li>\n
  • Power supply unit<\/li>\n
  • Resource CD<\/li>\n
  • Ethernet Cable<\/li>\n
  • Quick Installation Guide<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    When we\u2019re summing up the specifications and features of the TP Link<\/p>\n

    Archer C5 router it seems like a great router for this price. This middle<\/p>\n

    segment TP Link router is targeted at home and small office users. The<\/p>\n

    router is very affordable for a lot of people and seems like a great alternative<\/p>\n

    for the router provided by your ISP. All together this is enough reason to question<\/p>\n

    and test the security of this router. Especially the target group of this TP Link router<\/p>\n

    should think twice before they unpack the router as soon as possible to get it up and<\/p>\n

    running as fast as possible to benefit from its great speed and features without even<\/p>\n

    thinking about proper and safe configuration. Let\u2019s continue this tutorial to see if and<\/p>\n

    how we can hack and secure this router starting by looking at the default passwords.<\/p>\n