CVE-2026-24430 Overview
CVE-2026-24430 affects the Shenzhen Tenda W30E V2 router across all firmware versions up to and including V16.01.0.19(5037). The maintenance interface returns sensitive account credentials in cleartext within HTTP responses. The management interface listens over unencrypted HTTP by default, so credentials traverse the network without protection. An attacker with access to the network path can intercept administrator credentials and take over the device. This weakness is categorized as Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor [CWE-201].
Critical Impact
Plaintext administrator credentials are returned by the device management interface over unencrypted HTTP, enabling network-based credential theft and full device compromise.
Affected Products
- Tenda W30E hardware revision 2.0
- Tenda W30E firmware versions up to and including V16.01.0.19(5037)
- Deployments exposing the W30E maintenance interface over HTTP
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-26 - CVE-2026-24430 published to NVD
- 2026-01-28 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-24430
Vulnerability Analysis
The Tenda W30E V2 maintenance interface embeds account credentials directly into HTTP response bodies generated by the device. When an administrator authenticates or browses configuration pages, the web management application returns username and password fields in cleartext rather than redacting or hashing them. Because the management service binds to HTTP without enforcing TLS, every response carrying these credentials is visible to any party on the transport path. The exposure persists across the entire supported firmware line through V16.01.0.19(5037).
Root Cause
The root cause is improper handling of sensitive data by the maintenance web application. The interface treats credential fields as ordinary configuration parameters and serializes them to the response stream. There is no server-side masking, no client-side retrieval gating, and no transport encryption requirement. The combination produces a direct path from authenticated configuration retrieval to credential disclosure under [CWE-201].
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based. An attacker positioned on the same broadcast domain, on an intermediate hop, or on an upstream device can passively capture HTTP traffic to or from the W30E management interface. ARP spoofing, rogue access points, or compromised infrastructure routers all provide suitable interception points. Once captured, the cleartext credentials grant the attacker administrative control over the router, including DNS settings, firewall rules, and firmware updates. See the VulnCheck Tenda W30E Advisory for additional technical detail.
No verified public exploit code is available. The vulnerability is described in prose because no sanitized proof-of-concept has been published.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24430
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP traffic to or from the W30E management interface containing readable username or password field values in response bodies.
- Unexpected administrative logins to the router from unfamiliar source addresses following management session activity on the LAN.
- Configuration changes to DNS, DHCP, or firewall rules on the W30E without a corresponding administrator action.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect packet captures of management sessions for cleartext credential strings in HTTP response payloads.
- Apply network intrusion detection signatures that flag HTTP responses from the router web interface carrying credential-like key-value pairs.
- Correlate router admin login events with the source addresses of recent HTTP management traffic to identify reuse from unexpected hosts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor for any HTTP traffic on TCP/80 destined for the W30E management interface and treat such traffic as a misconfiguration finding.
- Alert on outbound administrative actions from the router occurring outside of approved maintenance windows.
- Track firmware version reporting across deployed W30E units to confirm patch status once a fix becomes available.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24430
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to the W30E maintenance interface to a dedicated management VLAN or trusted hosts only.
- Disable remote management over WAN if it is enabled on affected units.
- Rotate the router administrator password and any credentials reused elsewhere after confirming no active interception.
- Avoid administering the device from untrusted networks until vendor remediation is available.
Patch Information
No vendor patch is referenced in the published advisory at the time of NVD publication. Consult the Tenda W30E Product Page for firmware updates and verify the running version against V16.01.0.19(5037) or later releases as they are issued by the vendor.
Workarounds
- Place the W30E behind a management jump host and require administrators to connect through an encrypted channel such as SSH or VPN before reaching the HTTP interface.
- Segment the router management interface from user and guest networks using VLANs and access control lists.
- Where feasible, replace affected units with devices that enforce HTTPS-only management and do not return credentials in response bodies.
# Configuration example: restrict management interface access at an upstream firewall
# Replace 10.0.0.0/24 with the trusted management subnet and 192.168.1.1 with the router IP
iptables -A FORWARD -s 10.0.0.0/24 -d 192.168.1.1 -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD -d 192.168.1.1 -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
