• Texas sued networking giant TP-Link Systems, accusing the company of deceptively marketing its routers as secure while allowing Chinese state-backed hackers to exploit firmware vulnerabilities and access users’ devices. • The lawsuit follows an investigation launched in October and claims that TP-Link misled buyers by labeling its products “Made in Vietnam” while sourcing nearly all components from China. • According to Texas Attorney General Paxton, this is important because Chinese law can compel companies with Chinese supply-chain ties to cooperate with government intelligence requests and hand over user data. • “This week, my office is launching a coordinated series of actions against CCP-aligned companies to send a clear message that in the Lone Star State we will always put Texas and America First,” said Paxton. • “TP Link will face the full force of the law for putting Americans’ security at risk. • Let this serve as a clear warning to any Chinese entity seeking to compromise our nation’s security.” The suit points to a history of security failures, including firmware vulnerabilities exploited by Chinese hacking groups and the company’s routers being used in a large-scale credential-theft botnet later linked to password-spray attacks.
Article Summaries:
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a civil suit against TP‑Link Systems, alleging the company deceptively marketed its routers as secure while allowing Chinese state‑backed hackers to exploit firmware vulnerabilities. The lawsuit claims TP‑Link labels its products “Made in Vietnam” but sources most components from China, potentially subjecting them to Chinese intelligence requests. Paxton cites a history of security failures, including a botnet used by Chinese threat actors, and seeks monetary penalties, an injunction to disclose Chinese origins, and to stop data collection without consent. TP‑Link denies the allegations, stating it is an independent U.S. company and that all U.S. data is stored on Amazon Web Services.
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