# CVE-2018-13317: TOTOLINK - XSS

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2018-13317 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2018-13317

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Background Noise. Continuous low-level scanning or exploitation attempts are observed, mostly opportunistic and automated.
- **CVSS score:** 6.1
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** TOTOLINK A3002RU
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'))
- **Tags:** iot

## Description

Password disclosure in password.htm in TOTOLINK A3002RU version 1.0.8 allows attackers to obtain the plaintext password for the admin user by making a GET request for password.htm.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2018-13317](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2018-13317) is a vulnerability in TOTOLINK A3002RU version 1.0.8 that exposes the admin user's plaintext password through a simple GET request to password.htm. This flaw could allow remote attackers to easily obtain administrative credentials and potentially take control of the device, leading to unauthorized configuration changes or further network compromise.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 10th of December 2025.

According to CrowdSec data, while opportunistic exploitation dominates, a portion of threat actors trying to exploit CVE-2018-13317 apply basic targeting methods such as port or service detection. This indicates emerging patterns of selective targeting.
In addition, according to the CrowdSec network, attack volume against CVE-2018-13317 has dipped slightly compared to the previous week. Although still commonly targeted, the decline suggests a cooling-off period. Long-term relevance remains, but attention is waning.

Attackers exploit this vulnerability by sending unauthenticated GET requests to the `/password.htm` endpoint, which exposes plaintext admin credentials on vulnerable TOTOLINK A3002RU devices.

## Timeline

- 2018-11-26: CVE Published. CVE-2018-13317 is published to NVD.
- 2025-12-10: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2018-13317 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2025-12-15: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2018-13317 for the first time.

## References

- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2018/CVE-2018-13317.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2018-13317) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2018-13317. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.