CVE-2023-50224: TP-Link TL-WR841N Authentication Bypass by Spoofing Vulnerability

What it is

TP-Link TL-WR841N dropbearpwd Improper Authentication Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of TP-Link TL-WR841N routers. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the httpd service, which listens on TCP port 80 by default. The issue results from improper authentication. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to disclose stored credentials, leading to further compromise. Was ZDI-CAN-19899.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by zdi, published 2024-05-03).

Weakness: CWE-290: Authentication Bypass by Spoofing

How it can be exploited

Exploitable from an adjacent network with low attack complexity needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity none, availability none. CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: no. Technical impact: partial.

On CISA KEV since

2025-09-03

US federal deadline

2025-09-24

Ransomware use

Not known

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: BDU:2023-09064, CNNVD-202405-577, EUVD-2023-55046, GHSA-g654-hw9f-49w6, ZDI-23-1808

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:FLAMEIGNITION

Exploit Observer has no public exploit code that names this CVE or one of its aliases.

Research and write-ups (1)

• Research or write-up: https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-23-1808

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (5)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

• Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2023-55046
• Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g654-hw9f-49w6
• Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-50224
• Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-50224
• Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cnnvd.org.cn/home/globalSearch?keyword=CNNVD-202405-577

15 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS

0.200
likely to be attacked soon

VEDAS

0.978
strong exploit evidence

On CISA KEV

Yes, since 2025-09-03

Detection rule

None yet

Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish. The vertical line is the day CISA added it to its exploited list.

Who is affected

2 more products are listed in the CVE record.

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

Exploit Observer also maps it to: tp-link archer_c1900_firmware, tp-link archer_c5_firmware, tp-link archer_c7_firmware, tp-link mr3420_firmware, tp-link mr6400_firmware, tp-link tl-mr3020_firmware, tp-link tl-mr3220_firmware, tp-link tl-wdr3600_firmware, tp-link tl-wdr4300_firmware, tp-link tl-wr710n_firmware.

How to fix it

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor guidance:

• vendor-provided URL (vendor-advisory)
• vendor-advisory (vendor-advisory)

How to detect it

There is no open VEDAS detection rule for this bug yet. It is listed on the detection gaps page if CISA has confirmed attacks.

References

Vendor advisories and patches

• vendor-provided URL (vendor-advisory)
• vendor-advisory (vendor-advisory)

Government sources

• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-50224 (government-resource)

Other references

• ZDI-23-1808 (x_research-advisory)

Other databases

• CVE record (cve.org)
• NVD
• Exploit Observer

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.