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HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Authenticated command injection in TP-Link /userRpm/WlanNetworkRpm

IdentifiersCVE-2023-33538CWE-77· Improper Neutralization of Special…

CVE-2023-33538 is a command injection vulnerability in the web management interface of end-of-life TP-Link routers TL-WR940N V2/V4, TL-WR841N V8/V10, and TL-WR740N V1/V2. The flaw is in handling of requests to /userRpm/WlanNetworkRpm.htm, specifically the ssid1 parameter. Reverse engineering and firmware emulation showed that the ssid1 value is extracted by the HTTP handler and passed through wlanNetworkSave(), parseWlanParams(), wlanBasicDynSet(), and wirelessConfigUpdate(), where it is inserted unsafely into a shell command of the form iwconfig %s essid %s. That command is then executed via execFormatCmd(), tp_SystemEx(), and ultimately /bin/sh, enabling command injection. The vulnerability is real, although some observed in-the-wild exploit attempts failed because they targeted the wrong parameter (ssid instead of ssid1) and relied on unavailable tooling in the device environment.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary system commands on the router. This can enable full compromise of the device’s management plane, modification of system files and startup scripts, malware installation, botnet enrollment, persistence, and use of the router as a staging point for further malicious activity. Observed campaigns attempted to download and execute Mirai/Condi-like malware, and analysis showed practical command execution sufficient to modify /etc/rc.d/rcS for persistence. Because the affected devices are routers, compromise can also facilitate traffic manipulation, service disruption, and use of the device for propagation or command-and-control relay.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate replacement is not possible, restrict or disable exposure of the web management interface, allow access only from trusted management networks, and ensure strong non-default administrator credentials are in use. Monitor for suspicious requests to /userRpm/WlanNetworkRpm.htm and outbound connections to known malicious infrastructure such as 51.38.137.113 and cnc.vietdediserver.shop. Because exploitation requires authenticated access and the devices are unsupported, the most effective mitigation is retirement and network isolation until replacement.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

TP-Link stated the affected models are end-of-life and no patches will be released. The vendor-recommended remediation is to replace the affected routers with currently supported hardware. Where replacement is possible, remove these devices from production networks and migrate configuration to supported platforms receiving security updates.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

3 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.

VALID 3 / 3 TOTALView more in app
tplink-osciMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository is a minimal Python proof-of-concept exploit consisting of a single executable script (xp.py) and a trivial README containing only an image link. The script is a standalone remote command injection exploit targeting TP-Link router functionality related to wireless configuration. It supports two exploitation paths: (1) an HTTP-based attack against the router web admin endpoint /userRpm/WlanNetworkRpm.htm, and (2) a UDP-based TDDP mode that sends a crafted packet to port 1040. In both cases, the exploit places shell metacharacters around an attacker-controlled command in an SSID-related field, indicating the underlying vulnerability is command injection during processing of wireless settings. The HTTP mode uses a Cookie header with Authorization=Basic <base64> and defaults to admin/admin credentials, then submits parameters such as ssid1, channel, mode, chanWidth, secType, and Save. The TDDP mode builds a 380-byte buffer, writes integer values at fixed offsets, inserts the command into a 32-byte SSID field, and sends the packet over UDP. The default payload is a benign reconnaissance command ('uname -a'), but the user can supply arbitrary commands with -cmd. Overall, this is a real exploit script, not a detector, and is operational but basic: it provides direct RCE capability with hardcoded protocol logic and limited response handling.

eev4nDisclosed Apr 19, 2026pythonmarkdownwebnetwork
CVE-2023-33538-msfMaturityPoCFrameworkmetasploitVerified exploit

This repository contains a Metasploit auxiliary module (tplink_ssid1_rce.rb) that exploits an authenticated command injection vulnerability (CVE-2023-33538) in TP-Link TL-WR940N (V2/V4) and TL-WR841N (V8/V10) routers. The exploit targets the 'ssid1' parameter in the /userRpm/WlanNetworkRpm.htm HTTP endpoint, allowing arbitrary shell command execution on the device. The module requires the attacker to supply a valid Authorization cookie and session path, which must be manually extracted after logging into the router's web interface. The exploit is operational, allowing the user to specify any shell command to execute. The repository includes a README with usage instructions and references, and the main exploit logic is implemented in a single Ruby file compatible with the Metasploit framework.

mrowkoobDisclosed Jun 23, 2025rubynetwork
CVE-2023-33538MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a Python exploit script (tplink.py) targeting a command injection vulnerability in TP-Link TL-WR940N and TL-WR841N routers. The exploit abuses improper input sanitization in the 'ssid1' parameter of the '/userRpm/WlanNetworkRpm.htm' HTTP endpoint, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the router. The script supports three main functions: testing for vulnerability (default command: reboot), executing custom commands, and obtaining a reverse shell (if the router supports the required binaries). The script can automatically detect random path components in the URL, which are present in some firmware versions. The exploit requires valid credentials (default: admin/admin) and network access to the router. The repository consists of a README.md with usage instructions and a single Python script implementing the exploit logic. No detection-only scripts or fake payloads are present; the code is operational and provides real exploitation capabilities.

explxxDisclosed Jun 22, 2025pythonnetwork
EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
TP-LinkTl-Wr740n Firmwareoperating_system
TP-LinkTl-Wr841n Firmwareoperating_system
TP-LinkTl-Wr940n Firmwareoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware11

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures1

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity63

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.