The next Huawei? Router giant TP-Link exploded the Chinese security backdoor, the United States will ban sales as early as 2025

The US-China trade war has escalated again, and this time the battle has spread to the network communication market. The Wall Street Journal broke the news on Wednesday that TP-Link, a major Chinese router manufacturer, has been suspected of being involved in multiple cyber attacks, posing a threat to national security. It is currently under separate investigation by the US Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and Department of Justice and may be banned next year. (Previous context: Involvement of Huawei chip ban: Bitmain may be cut off by TSMC! L9 miners cannot be produced and delivered) (Background information: TSMC chips were reported to have flowed into Huawei urgently cut off: US Department of Commerce and US lawmakers demand an explanation) The US-China trade war has escalated again, and on Wednesday (18th), the Wall Street Journal quoted informed sources as revealing that TP-Link, one of the world's highest-selling router brands, founded in Shenzhen, China, is under investigation by the US Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and Department of Justice and may be prohibited from selling its routers in the US as early as 2025 for national security reasons. The sources also revealed that the Department of Defense initiated an investigation into TP-Link routers earlier this year, and one office of the Department of Commerce has even issued a subpoena to the company. TP-Link has a 65% market share of home and small business routers in the US, and is also a best-selling brand on Amazon. It collaborates with over 300 internet service providers, including many US government agencies such as NASA, the Pentagon, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which use its products. Therefore, if TP-Link is ultimately banned, it may become the largest Chinese telecommunications equipment ban since Huawei was added to the US trade blacklist in 2019, and is expected to affect millions of American households and businesses. TP-Link is suspected of being involved in multiple cyber attacks. The suspicion that TP-Link routers are related to multiple cyber attacks has raised concerns among US authorities. In August of this year, two US lawmakers urged the Biden administration to investigate this Chinese router manufacturer and its affiliates, fearing that their Wi-Fi routers could be used for cyber attacks against the US. A Microsoft report in October also revealed that a Chinese hacker group used thousands of infected TP-Link routers to build a zombie network, targeting Western think tanks, government agencies, and Department of Defense suppliers. In addition, Reuters pointed out that the US, its allies, and Microsoft disclosed a Volt Typhoon hacker operation last year, which was allegedly linked to the Chinese government. The hacker group attempted to hide attacks on US critical infrastructure by controlling private routers. However, the vast majority of the controlled products were from US companies such as Cisco and NetGear, highlighting the ubiquity of router vulnerabilities. The Chinese Embassy in the US protests: Suppression of Chinese companies under the guise of national security. The sources also pointed out that TP-Link routers have security vulnerabilities, but the company has not actively responded. A spokesperson for TP-Link's California subsidiary has stated that the company is willing to cooperate with the US government in assessing and addressing security risks. However, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington protested, accusing the US of using national security as an excuse to suppress Chinese companies. China will firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises. Currently, the Taiwan government and educational institutions have banned TP-Link routers, and India has also issued a security warning for the company's routers. Network communication stocks benefit from the surge. The investigation by the US government into TP-Link is still ongoing, and whether it will be sanctioned in the end is expected to be decided during Trump's tenure. However, if TP-Link withdraws from the US, the world's largest market for router sales (accounting for 44% of global sales in 2023), it will leave a gap that competitors are eagerly eyeing. On Wednesday's closing, NetGear rose 4.79%, and after-hours trading surged more than 12%. In addition, TP-Link is a mainstream communication equipment brand in Taiwan. If it is indeed subject to US export controls, it is expected to have a significant impact on Taiwan, and the global router market is also expected to undergo major changes. Taiwanese network communication brands and contract manufacturers are also expected to benefit. Today, network communication brand manufacturer Arcadyan (2332) rose 9.81% in early trading and hit the daily limit, while its subsidiary Arcadyan (6142) also rose sharply by 9.86%. Contract manufacturer Wistron (5388) rose more than 8%, and other companies including Zyxel (3447), QNAP (6285), Sercomm (3704), Edgecore (3596), and SinoVoip (3558) were all in the red. Related reports: TSMC cuts off high-end chips! Foreign media reports: 'Huawei's white gloves' is Bitmain's subsidiary Canaan AI China warns domestic companies 'not to buy NVIDIA AI chips' and instead buy Huawei, DeepCam and SMIC stock prices surge 20% Huawei rumored to launch new AI chip, performance 'on par with NVIDIA H100' The next Huawei? TP-Link, the router giant, is reported to have embedded a backdoor for China's cybersecurity, and may be banned from selling in the US as early as 2025. This article was first published on BlockTempo, the most influential blockchain news media in the BlockZone.