CVE-2023-39471
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 · uneditedTP-Link TL-WR841N ated_tp Command Injection Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of TP-Link TL-WR841N routers. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. 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-21825.
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 confidenceCommand injection vulnerability in the ated_tp service of TP-Link TL-WR841N routers allows network-adjacent unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code as root due to improper validation of user-supplied strings before system call execution.
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< 231119< 231121CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify device modelCheck the router model label or access the web interface to confirm the exact model number (TL-WR841N or TL-WR840N)Affected if Device is not one of these two models, the vulnerability does not apply
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Check firmware versionAccess the router web interface (typically at 192.168.0.1) and look in the firmware or status page for the current firmware version numberAffected if Firmware version is below 231119 for TL-WR841N or below 231121 for TL-WR840N
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Verify ated_tp service availabilityAttempt to access the ated_tp service over the network on the typical ports used by TP-Link management services; this may require access to the router's admin interface or diagnostic toolsAffected if The ated_tp service is exposed and accessible from the network (even LAN-side)
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Assess network exposureDetermine if the router management interface is accessible from untrusted network segments or if the device is deployed in a high-risk network environmentAffected if The router or its management services are accessible from network segments beyond the trusted local network
You are affected if you have a TL-WR841N or TL-WR840N router running firmware version below 231119 or 231121 respectively, and the ated_tp service is network-accessible.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped231119231121
Apply vendor firmware update if available; if device is end-of-life, replace with a supported model; network segmentation can limit exposure to adjacent attackers.
TP-Link TL-WR841N firmware >= 231119; TP-Link TL-WR840N firmware >= 231121
- 1. Identify the exact model of your TP-Link router (TL-WR841N or TL-WR840N)
- 2. Access the router's web management interface by navigating to the device's IP address (typically 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1)
- 3. Locate the firmware upgrade section, usually found under 'System Tools' > 'Firmware Upgrade' or 'Administration'
- 4. Download the appropriate firmware version from TP-Link's official support website
- 5. For TL-WR841N, upgrade to firmware version 231119 or later
- 6. For TL-WR840N, upgrade to firmware version 231121 or later
- 7. Upload the firmware file through the web interface and wait for the upgrade to complete
- 8. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the firmware version in the router settings
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-39471 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-39471 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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