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Hard-coded CredentialsWeakness · CWE-798

CVE-2025-6982

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v4.0 Published 2025-07-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Use of Hard-coded Credentials in TP-Link Archer C50 V3( <= 180703)/V4( <= 250117 )/V5( <= 200407 ), and C20 V5 (<US_V5_260419 or <EU_V5_260317) allows attackers to decrypt the config.xml files.

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

The TP-Link Archer C50 (V3, V4, V5) and C20 V5 routers contain hard-coded credentials embedded in the firmware that are used to encrypt and decrypt configuration XML files. Attackers who obtain these credentials can decrypt stored config.xml files, potentially exposing sensitive settings, credentials, and network configuration data.

MitigationUsers should apply vendor-provided firmware updates when available. Until then, restrict physical and network access to affected router administrative interfaces to minimize exposure.

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

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
Authentication
X
User interaction
None
Scope
X

CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

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 router model
    Access the router's web administrative interface and navigate to Status or System settings page to confirm the exact hardware version (C50 V3, V4, V5 or C20 V5). Alternatively, check the physical device label on the router chassis.
    Affected if The router model is TP-Link Archer C50 (any V3, V4, V5) or C20 V5.
  2. Check firmware version
    In the router web interface, go to Status or System > Firmware Upgrade page and note the installed firmware version number. Compare it against any known patched versions from TP-Link support pages.
    Affected if The firmware version is a pre-patched release and the router has not received a security update addressing this credential disclosure.
  3. Locate config.xml file
    Attempt to access the router's configuration backup feature (usually in System > Backup & Restore or Tools). Locate any downloaded .bin or .cfg file that contains XML-formatted data, typically named config.xml or similar when decrypted.
    Affected if A downloadable configuration backup file exists and can be opened or extracted to reveal XML configuration content.
  4. Verify credential presence in firmware
    If you have access to the firmware binary (via vendor download or extraction from device), search the firmware image for known hardcoded strings used in the TP-Link config encryption routine. Tools like binwalk or strings can assist. Look for static keys or IVs used in the encryption algorithm.
    Affected if Hard-coded encryption keys or credentials are found embedded in the firmware binary, indicating the vulnerability is present.
  5. Assess administrative access exposure
    Review router access logs and firewall settings to determine if the web management interface is exposed to untrusted networks (WAN) or accessible without strong authentication controls.
    Affected if The router admin interface is reachable from the internet or an untrusted network, allowing attackers to potentially download and decrypt configuration backups.

A user is affected if they own an Archer C50 V3/V4/V5 or C20 V5 router running firmware that has not been patched, and the router configuration backup file is accessible to attackers who could use the hard-coded credentials to decrypt it.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Users should apply vendor-provided firmware updates when available. Until then, restrict physical and network access to affected router administrative interfaces to minimize exposure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Firmware version newer than C50 V3:180703, V4:250117, V5:200407, or C20 V5:US_V5_260419/EU_V5_260317

  1. 1. Visit the official TP-Link support page at www.tp-link.com and search for your router model (Archer C50 or C20)
  2. 2. Navigate to the Firmware/Download section for your specific hardware version
  3. 3. Download the latest available firmware version
  4. 4. Access your router's web management interface (typically at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1)
  5. 5. Navigate to the System Tools > Firmware Upgrade section
  6. 6. Upload the downloaded firmware file and allow the upgrade process to complete
  7. 7. After reboot, verify the firmware version matches the latest available release
  8. 8. As a security measure, change the default admin credentials after the update
Caveat Firmware updates may reset router configuration to defaults; backup settings before upgrading

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
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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-2025-6982 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
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