CVE-2026-24441 is a vulnerability identified in the firmware of Shenzhen Tenda Technology Co., Ltd.'s Tenda AC7 router, specifically firmware version V03.03.03.01_cn and prior. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-319, which pertains to the cleartext transmission of sensitive information. In this case, the router's HTTP responses expose account credentials in plaintext, allowing an attacker positioned on the network path (on-path attacker) to intercept and obtain sensitive authentication material without requiring authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.2, indicating high severity, with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and high impact on confidentiality (VC:H) but no impact on integrity or availability. This means that while the attack is somewhat complex, it can be executed remotely by an unauthenticated attacker who can intercept network traffic. The exposure of plaintext credentials can lead to unauthorized access to the router’s management interface, potentially allowing further compromise of the network. No patches or exploits are currently reported, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk given the nature of the information exposed and the critical role of routers in network security.

For European organizations, the exposure of router credentials in plaintext can lead to unauthorized administrative access, enabling attackers to manipulate network configurations, intercept or redirect traffic, or deploy further malware within the network. This compromises confidentiality and potentially the integrity of network communications. Organizations relying on Tenda AC7 routers in office or industrial environments may face increased risk of espionage, data leakage, or disruption of services. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments with shared or public networks, or where network segmentation is weak. Given the router’s role as a network gateway, compromise can have cascading effects on connected systems. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits once the vulnerability becomes widely known.

Immediate mitigation involves isolating Tenda AC7 devices running vulnerable firmware from untrusted or public networks to prevent on-path interception. Network administrators should enforce strict network segmentation and use VPNs or encrypted tunnels for management access to reduce exposure. Monitoring network traffic for unusual access patterns to router management interfaces can help detect exploitation attempts. Since no official patches are currently available, organizations should engage with Shenzhen Tenda Technology for firmware updates and apply them promptly once released. As a longer-term measure, consider replacing vulnerable devices with models that enforce secure management protocols such as HTTPS with strong encryption and do not transmit credentials in cleartext. Implementing network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems (IDS) and secure DNS can also help mitigate exploitation risks.