CVE-2023-50224
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 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.
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 · moderate confidenceThe TP-Link TL-WR841N router's httpd service (TCP port 80) contains an improper authentication vulnerability that allows network-adjacent attackers to retrieve stored credentials without any authentication. This occurs because the web service fails to properly authenticate requests before returning sensitive credential information, enabling attackers to harvest credentials for further network compromise.
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= 3.16.9CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 the router modelLog into the router's web interface or check the device label/marketing to confirm the model number is TP-Link TL-WR841NAffected if The model is not TL-WR841N - different models are not affected by this specific CVE
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Check the firmware versionAccess the router's web management interface (typically at http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1), navigate to the Status or System menu, and record the firmware version displayedAffected if The installed firmware version equals 3.16.9 exactly - only this specific version is affected
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Verify httpd service is listeningFrom a network-adjacent host, use a tool like nmap or netcat to check if TCP port 80 is open on the router's IP address: nmap -p 80 <router_ip>Affected if Port 80 is open and the httpd service is accessible - this is required for exploitation
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Test for unauthenticated credential disclosureSend an HTTP GET request to the router's web interface without any authentication credentials. For this CVE, the vulnerability allows retrieval of stored credentials via a specific unauthenticated endpoint on the httpd serviceAffected if The router returns credential or sensitive configuration data without requiring any login - this confirms the vulnerability is present and exploitable
You are affected if you own a TP-Link TL-WR841N router running firmware version 3.16.9 with the httpd service accessible on TCP port 80, and unauthenticated requests can retrieve stored credentials.
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 · scopedApply available firmware updates from TP-Link; if no update exists, restrict network access to the router's management interface and consider replacing the device with a supported model.
Latest available TL-WR841N firmware (check TP-Link support for most recent version after 3.16.9)
- 1. Visit the official TP-Link support website at www.tp-link.com to locate the firmware download page for the TL-WR841N model.
- 2. Download the latest available firmware version for the TL-WR841N router.
- 3. Access the router's web-based management interface by entering the router's IP address (typically 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) in a web browser.
- 4. Navigate to the System Tools > Firmware Upgrade (or similar) section of the router interface.
- 5. Click the option to upgrade firmware and select the downloaded firmware file.
- 6. Wait for the firmware upload and installation process to complete - do not power off the router during this process.
- 7. After the router restarts, verify that the new firmware version is installed and the router is functioning normally.
- 8. As a security precaution, change the default administrator password after the upgrade.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-50224 — 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-2023-50224 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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