ASUS RT-AC68U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.385.20253

[dave14305]

Version 3.0.0.4.385.20253 2020/03/10 36.54 MBytes

ASUS RT-AC68U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.385.20253
- Fixed CVE-2019-15126 (Kr00k) vulnerability.

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/RT-AC68U/FW_RT_AC68U_300438520253.zip

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

Version 3.0.0.4.385.20253 2020/03/10 36.54 MBytes

ASUS RT-AC68U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.385.20253
- Fixed CVE-2019-15126 (Kr00k) vulnerability.

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/RT-AC68U/FW_RT_AC68U_300438520253.zip

that is the first time i've ever seen the FW version only change by .00001 of the version number

 

[Ronald Schwerer]

More importantly, when will there be a Merlin release with this CVE fixed?

 

[dave14305]

More importantly, when will there be a Merlin release with this CVE fixed?

As we've all learned over time, it'll be after a GPL is released and Merlin has time to merge it.

 

[Ronald Schwerer]

As we've all learned over time, it'll be after a GPL is released and Merlin has time to merge it.

I suspect the fix is in the closed source binaries.

 

[juched]

Just installed it on my AiMesh node.

 

[wouterv]

Today I noticed the following System log entries:

Mar 19 03:38:17 ahs: [read_json]Update ahs JSON file.
Mar 19 03:38:46 ahs: [read_json]Update ahs JSON file.
Mar 19 03:39:16 ahs: [read_json]Update ahs JSON file.

I have never seen those.
Telnet, SSH, Web access from WAN, VPN and FTP Share are disabled.
Of course I slept that time of the day.
What happened around 3:38 ?

 

[RMerlin]

Just the AHS daemon which retrieved or updated its data file. That's normal.

 

[wouterv]

Just the AHS daemon which retrieved or updated its data file. That's normal.

What does the AHS deamon do and why does it need to update its data file?
Last night the same 3 events.
The events seems to have started after I reverted the router to factory defaults (including Initialize all settings...) and manual configure it again, with the same settings like I do for years.

 

[RMerlin]

What does the AHS deamon do and why does it need to update its data file?

Asus Healing System. New security-related service from Asus, with downloaded signature files.

 

[wouterv]

It would be nice to know more about this AHS.
In my router AiProtection is disabled, what else is using signature files?

I anyhow found a few things in the GUI which are new to me, or I have overlooked these in the past recent firmware versions:

1. In USB Applications there is a new item FileFlex, another third party file sharing system.
2. The LAN - LAN IP Tab now has a Host name and Domain entry (Host name was before only shown at the Samba settings as Device Name).
3. Firewall now has a Network Services Filter Tab
   
4. SSH now (again) allows port 22 (in a previous firmware you was forced to set a port above 1024).

 

[anko]

Anyone else experiencing constant > 80% CPU levels after upgrade to this version? GUI is really sluggish. Downgraded and CPU went back to normal 0-20%.

 

[wouterv]

Anyone else experiencing constant > 80% CPU levels after upgrade to this version? GUI is really sluggish. Downgraded and CPU went back to normal 0-20%.

Quiet and peaceful here, none or almost no data:

A little pushing with speedtest:

 

[gdp416]

Anyone else experiencing constant > 80% CPU levels after upgrade to this version? GUI is really sluggish. Downgraded and CPU went back to normal 0-20%.

I also noticed this after upgrade to 3.0.0.4.385.20253 from 3.0.0.4.385.20252. Downgrading the firmware brought the CPU usage back to normal. This was with an RT-AC66U B1 but that uses the same firmware as an RT-AC68U I believe.

Did you do a factory reset after the upgrade? I did not.

 

[kozman]

I also noticed this after upgrade to 3.0.0.4.385.20253 from 3.0.0.4.385.20252. Downgrading the firmware brought the CPU usage back to normal. This was with an RT-AC66U B1 but that uses the same firmware as an RT-AC68U I believe.

Did you do a factory reset after the upgrade? I did not.

Mine is doing the same thing as both of you. Both CPUs hovering around 80-90% utilization. I did a manual update, no factory reset. I re-did the update, no change. Reboot, no change. Unplug for a minute, no change.

I used the Feeback link at the bottom of the main router page and also added a "Yes" on Enable System Diagnostics (24hrs) and sent a love note to Asus support. Maybe if enough people do it, they will fix it.

SSHing into the router and using the TOP command, CPU util is all being cased by mtdblock3. Apparently mtdblock4 is current so maybe Asus will move to that some day or just fix this bug. I'd hate to have to go back to 20252.

For those that updated to .20253: Did you download the .zip and do a manual update or through the router UI?

 

[gdp416]

...
For those that updated to .20253: Did you download the .zip and do a manual update or through the router UI?

I had also used the feedback link to let ASUS know about it. I updated through the UI.

 

[Lee MacMillan]

For those that updated to .20253: Did you download the .zip and do a manual update or through the router UI?

I updated my AC66U B1 to .20253 thru the router. No factory reset (in fact, I have not done a factory reset in almost 2 years). My CPU is running under 5% on both cores. I did a speed test yesterday and one core spiked briefly to 75% but came back down after the test ended. I typically have 10-12 attached clients but usually no more than 2 or 3 actually receiving or transmitting.

 

[Pedro]

I know this could be hard, but which .385 version is the most stable?

 

[lucluke]

Anyone else experiencing constant > 80% CPU levels after upgrade to this version? GUI is really sluggish. Downgraded and CPU went back to normal 0-20%.

Same here, got constant > 80% CPU usage on both cores after updating to 3.0.0.4.385.20253 (without factory reset) caused by mtdblock3.

Turning off services (SMB, AI Protection) didn't help, didn't try factory reset, reverting to 3.0.0.4.385.20252 resolved the issue.

 

[wouterv]

I know this could be hard, but which .385 version is the most stable?

There is not much choice for .385, I think it is an easy pick:

• 3.0.0.4.385.10000 was the first.
• 3.0.0.4.385.20252 was the next.
• 3.0.0.4.385.20253 is the currect.