Skip to content

CVE-2023-33538 — TP-Link TL-WR940N V2/V4, TL-WR841N V8/V10, and TL-WR740N V1/V2 was discovered to contain…

Key facts

CVE-2023-33538 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: TP-Link TL-WR940N V2/V4, TL-WR841N V8/V10, and TL-WR740N V1/V2 was discovered to contain…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2025-06-16), confirming active exploitation in the wild.

Actively exploited — on the CISA KEV catalog

CVE-2023-33538 is listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2025-06-16), confirming exploitation in the wild. Federal remediation deadline: 2025-07-07. Prioritise patching and deploy the detection and prevention rules below.

CVE CVE-2023-33538
Severity High (8.8)
CISA KEV Actively exploited (added 2025-06-16)
Detection / prevention —
PoC poc.py
Source 2023/CVE-2023-33538/

Details

English | 한국어

Description

TP-Link TL-WR940N V2/V4, TL-WR841N V8/V10, and TL-WR740N V1/V2 was discovered to contain a command injection vulnerability via the component /userRpm/WlanNetworkRpm .

Vulnerability Details

Property Value
CVE ID CVE-2023-33538
Type COMMAND_INJECTION
CVSS Score 8.8

Proof of Concept

Download

# Download PoC script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fankh/vulnerability-poc/main/2023/CVE-2023-33538/poc.py

Usage

# Run PoC against target
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL>

# With authentication
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL> --username <USER> --password <PASS>

⚠️ Warning: This PoC is for authorized security testing only. It uses detection-only techniques and does not exploit or damage target systems.

Test Lab

This repository includes a Docker-based test environment with both vulnerable and patched applications.

Quick Start

# Clone and navigate to CVE directory
cd CVE-2023-33538

# Start both applications
docker-compose up -d

# Run tests
./run-tests.sh    # Linux/Mac
./run-tests.ps1   # Windows PowerShell

Application Endpoints

Application URL Status
Vulnerable App http://localhost:8080 Shows vulnerability
Patched App http://localhost:8081 Demonstrates fix

Directory Structure

├── README.md           # English documentation
├── README_KO.md        # Korean documentation
├── poc.py              # PoC detection script
├── docker-compose.yml  # Container orchestration
├── run-tests.sh        # Linux/Mac test runner
├── run-tests.ps1       # Windows test runner
├── vulnerable-app/     # Vulnerable version
│   ├── app.py
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── requirements.txt
└── patched-app/        # Fixed version
    ├── app.py
    ├── Dockerfile
    └── requirements.txt

References

  • https://github.com/a101e-IoTvul/iotvul/blob/main/tp-link/3/TL-WR940N_TL-WR841N_userRpm_WlanNetworkRpm_Command_Injection.md
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20230609111043/https://github.com/a101e-IoTvul/iotvul/blob/main/tp-link/3/TL-WR940N_TL-WR841N_userRpm_WlanNetworkRpm_Command_Injection.md
  • https://www.secpod.com/blog/cisa-issues-warning-on-active-exploitation-of-tp-link-vulnerability-cve-2023-33538/
  • https://github.com/a101e-IoTvul/iotvul/blob/main/tp-link/3/TL-WR940N_TL-WR841N_userRpm_WlanNetworkRpm_Command_Injection.md
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20230609111043/https://github.com/a101e-IoTvul/iotvul/blob/main/tp-link/3/TL-WR940N_TL-WR841N_userRpm_WlanNetworkRpm_Command_Injection.md
  • https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-33538
  • https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/3562/

Generated by PoC Generator on 2026-07-09T08:29:03.151841785

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-33538?

CVE-2023-33538 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: TP-Link TL-WR940N V2/V4, TL-WR841N V8/V10, and TL-WR740N V1/V2 was discovered to contain…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2025-06-16), confirming active exploitation in the wild.

How do I detect CVE-2023-33538?

Run the detection-only PoC included with this entry against your Docker test lab to confirm whether a target is affected; pair it with your own IDS logging.

How do I block or mitigate CVE-2023-33538?

Upgrade to a fixed version per the vendor advisory; the NVD record lists the affected versions. Use the included PoC to verify your remediation.

Is CVE-2023-33538 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-33538 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 2025-06-16, which means it has been exploited in the wild. CISA set a federal remediation deadline of 2025-07-07. Prioritise patching and deploy the detection and prevention rules above.


For authorized security testing and research only. See the full source and NVD record.