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

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• Yes, if you run TP-Link TL-WR841N. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-09-03, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2025-09-24; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
• EPSS 20.0%, percentile 97: FIRST’s model estimates a 20.0% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 97% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.

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.

CISA’s summary

TP-Link TL-WR841N contains an authentication bypass by spoofing vulnerability within the httpd service, which listens on TCP port 80 by default, leading to the disclose of stored credentials. The impacted products could be end-of-life (EoL) and/or end-of-service (EoS). Users should discontinue product utilization.

Weakness type: CWE-290.

Product: TP-Link TL-WR841N · Assigned by: zdi · Published: 2024-05-03

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: adjacent network only
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: added 2025-09-03; federal due date 2025-09-24. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
• 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.
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact partial.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 20.02% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 97.

Timeline

• 2024-05-03 — CVE record published by zdi
• 2025-09-03 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
• 2025-09-24 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
• 2026-09-02 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vendor and project advisories, patches

1. vendor-provided URL tp-link.com
2. vendor-advisory tp-link.com
3. Listed in CISA KEV notes (tp-link.com) tp-link.com

Vulnerability records

1. CVE.org record CVE-2023-50224 cve.org
2. NVD entry CVE-2023-50224 nvd.nist.gov

Government

1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry cisa.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. ZDI-23-1808 zerodayinitiative.com

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