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Tl Wr841 FirmwareOperating system · Tp Link

CVE-2022-42433

HIGH · 8.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 220914 or later.
See remediation →
82/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of TP-Link TL-WR841N TL-WR841N(US)_V14_220121 routers. Although authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, the existing authentication mechanism can be bypassed. The specific flaw exists within the ated_tp service. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied string before using it to execute a system call. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-17356.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This vulnerability in the ated_tp service on TP-Link TL-WR841N routers allows an attacker who can bypass authentication to inject arbitrary commands through insufficient input validation before system call execution, resulting in root-level code execution.

MitigationApply the vendor firmware update when available; until then, restrict network access to the router's administrative interface and monitor for signs of exploitation.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Tl Wr841 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 220914

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify device model
    Access router admin interface or check device label to confirm model is TP-Link TL-WR841N
    Affected if Device is not a TL-WR841N model - different models are not affected by this specific CVE
  2. Check firmware version
    In router admin interface, go to Status or System Tools > Firmware Upgrade page to view current firmware version. Alternatively, check via command line using 'nvram get fw_version' or 'cat /proc/tp_version' if you have shell access
    Affected if Firmware version is any version prior to 220914 (e.g., 220608, older releases)
  3. Verify ated_tp service is running
    If you have telnet/ssh shell access to the router, run 'ps | grep ated' or check /proc/process entries for ated_tp process
    Affected if The ated_tp process is actively running on the device
  4. Check for unauthorized processes or files
    Examine running processes for unexpected shells or network utilities. Check /tmp and /var directories for suspicious files (look for unusual scripts, binaries, or network tools not part of standard firmware)
    Affected if Unknown processes are running or unexpected scripts/executables exist in system directories
  5. Review network connections and admin access logs
    Check router logs for failed authentication attempts, especially from external IPs. Use 'netstat -an' via shell to inspect established connections to unusual external addresses
    Affected if Multiple failed auth attempts precede any successful login, or unexpected external connections are active

You are affected if you have a TL-WR841N router running firmware version older than 220914 with the ated_tp service enabled and accessible on the network.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 220914 or later
Fixed in 220914
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor firmware update when available; until then, restrict network access to the router's administrative interface and monitor for signs of exploitation.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

TL-WR841N firmware version 220914 or later

  1. Identify the exact TP-Link TL-WR841N model number and hardware version
  2. Access the router's web management interface (typically 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1)
  3. Navigate to System Tools > Firmware Upgrade to check current firmware version
  4. Download firmware version 220914 or later from the official TP-Link support website (www.tp-link.com)
  5. In the Firmware Upgrade page, click 'Choose File' and select the downloaded firmware file
  6. Click 'Upgrade' button and wait for the upgrade process to complete - do not power off the router
  7. After the router reboots, log back into the web interface and verify the firmware version shows 220914 or later
Caveat Standard firmware upgrade risk - ensure stable power during upgrade process

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Tl Wr841 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation5.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,310
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-42433 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data