No way to enable SSH access to your new router? The vendor might have something to hide#

Stanislav Dashevskyi, Francesco La Spina (Forescout / Vedere Labs)

• Why: A rare documented case of a network-device vendor actively obstructing analysis — patched Lua compiler, hidden SSH backdoor — in OpenWrt-derived firmware, a class that spans much of the consumer and enterprise gear in real networks.
• What: Reverse engineering of a major (redacted) vendor's OpenWrt-based device OS: the vendor patched the Lua compiler solely to hinder static analysis; a "patched" backdoor survives in the restricted SSH service; and an authenticated OS command injection sits deep in a custom Lua module — together enabling full remote takeover of the device line. (from abstract only)
• How: Static and dynamic RE of OpenWrt-derived binaries, recovering the modified Lua compiler's behavior, and auditing the restricted SSH implementation and custom Lua modules.
• Where applicable: One vendor's device line (vendor-specific; name redacted in the program). The command injection requires valid credentials; the findings signal a broader audit need for proprietary firmware built on OpenWrt.