FGrade F · High Risk
Is Zyxel Safe?
Zyxel is a Taiwan-headquartered company, but its routers are manufactured in China and have a critical CVE history including CISA-flagged vulnerabilities. F grade.
At a glance
- Owner
- Zyxel Networks Corporation (Taiwan, Hsinchu)
- FCC status
- FCC authorized
- Ban status
- Not in scope of ban
- Made in
- China
- Models graded
- 2 analyzed
- Grade range
- F
Security Verdict
Zyxel is based in Hsinchu, Taiwan, with no Chinese ownership or state law exposure. But its consumer routers, like the Armor AX7800 and Multy M1, are made in China, and it has one of the worst CVE records among non-Chinese brands. Several flaws, including actively exploited CVE-2022-30525, are in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Bottom line: No ban risk, but given its CVE record, patch promptly and replace end-of-life models.
Zyxel Model Grades
Tap a model for its full report.
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F
Armor AX7800ActiveFCC: FCC authorized - foreign manufacture rule applies · Made in China
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F
Multy M1ActiveFCC: FCC authorized - foreign manufacture rule applies · Made in China
Key Risk Factors
Serious
Exploited CVEs on CISA KEV list
CVE-2022-30525 and related flaws were added after confirmed exploitation in the wild. Attackers target Zyxel devices specifically.
Moderate
China manufacturing
Consumer routers are made in China, a supply chain factor that US-made alternatives avoid.
Moderate
Slow consumer patching
Consumer patches lag enterprise ones. Some came weeks after disclosure.
In its favor
Taiwan company, no ban risk
No Chinese government ownership, no FCC ban, and no exposure to China's National Intelligence Law.
Corporate Ownership Structure
Zyxel Networks Corporation is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, operates from Hsinchu, Taiwan, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Taiwan-based Unizyx Holding Corporation. Founded in 1989, it operates under Taiwanese corporate law, so China's National Intelligence Law does not apply. Its Armor and Multy consumer routers are made in China, and its enterprise division runs under closer security controls than the consumer one.
From the team behind this checker
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Frequently Asked Questions
Zyxel is a Taiwan company with no ban risk or Chinese ownership concern, but it has one of the worst CVE records among non-Chinese consumer brands. Flaws like CVE-2022-30525 were actively exploited and added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list. Run the latest firmware and check that your model still gets updates.
Yes. Zyxel's Armor and Multy consumer routers are made in China. Zyxel Networks is a Taiwan company (Hsinchu) not subject to China's National Intelligence Law, but China manufacturing adds supply chain considerations.
No. Zyxel is not on the FCC Covered List and is not banned in the US. Its risks are CVE history and active exploitation, not ownership.
CVE-2022-30525 is a critical flaw in Zyxel USG FLEX and ATP firewalls that lets a remote attacker run OS commands with no authentication. It is in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and was used in real attacks. Patch your Zyxel firmware if you have not already.
Asus is the safer choice. Both are Taiwan companies with no ban risk, but Asus has a better CVE record, faster consumer patches, and stronger security features (AiProtection, VPN, AiMesh).
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