CVE-2026-24441 identifies a vulnerability in Shenzhen Tenda Technology Co., Ltd.'s Tenda AC7 router firmware version V03.03.03.01_cn and earlier. The issue arises because the device transmits account credentials in plaintext within HTTP responses, violating secure communication principles. This cleartext transmission enables an attacker positioned on the network path—such as within the same local network or capable of intercepting traffic—to capture sensitive authentication information without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-319, which pertains to the cleartext transmission of sensitive information, a critical security flaw that can lead to credential compromise. The CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.2 indicates a high-severity issue, with the vector showing 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. Although no public exploits are currently known, the exposure of credentials in plaintext presents a significant risk for unauthorized access to the router and potentially the internal network. The lack of encryption in credential transmission suggests that the device does not enforce HTTPS or other secure protocols for sensitive operations, a fundamental security oversight. This vulnerability affects all devices running the specified firmware versions and earlier, requiring urgent attention from users and administrators to prevent exploitation.

The primary impact of CVE-2026-24441 is the compromise of sensitive authentication credentials due to their transmission in cleartext. An attacker who can intercept network traffic can obtain these credentials, leading to unauthorized access to the affected Tenda AC7 routers. This unauthorized access can allow attackers to alter router configurations, intercept or redirect network traffic, deploy malware, or use the device as a foothold for further attacks within the network. The confidentiality breach can also expose user data and network topology information. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability directly, the immediate risk is unauthorized access and information disclosure. However, the downstream effects can be severe, including persistent network compromise and data exfiltration. Organizations relying on these routers for critical network infrastructure or in environments with sensitive data are particularly at risk. The high CVSS score reflects the ease with which an attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely without authentication or user interaction, increasing the threat landscape. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact, but the vulnerability remains a significant risk if exploited.

1. Immediate mitigation involves restricting network access to the Tenda AC7 devices, especially limiting exposure to untrusted networks and ensuring that management interfaces are not accessible from the internet or untrusted segments. 2. Deploy network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns indicative of interception or unauthorized access attempts. 3. Use VPNs or encrypted tunnels for remote management to prevent interception of credentials over insecure channels. 4. Encourage users to upgrade to the latest firmware version once Shenzhen Tenda Technology releases a patch addressing this vulnerability. 5. If a patch is not yet available, consider replacing affected devices with models that enforce secure communication protocols such as HTTPS for management interfaces. 6. Implement strong network security controls such as WPA3 for Wi-Fi, strong passwords, and disable unnecessary services on the router to reduce attack surface. 7. Educate network administrators about the risks of cleartext credential transmission and the importance of secure configuration. 8. Employ intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) capable of detecting man-in-the-middle or interception attempts on local networks. These steps collectively reduce the risk of credential interception and unauthorized access until a firmware update is applied.