Security Advisory on Multiple Vulnerabilities on Tapo C260, D235 and C520WS (CVE-2026-0651, CVE-2026-0652, CVE-2026-0653)

Description of Vulnerabilities and Impacts:

CVE-2026-0651: Path Traversal on Tapo D235, C260 and C520WS via Improper Normalization and URL Decoding Order

A path traversal vulnerability was identified TP-Link Tapo C260 v1, D235 v1 and C520WS v2.6 within the HTTP server’s handling of GET requests. The server performs path normalization before fully decoding URL‑encoded input and falls back to using the raw path when normalization fails. An attacker can exploit this logic flaw by supplying crafted, URL‑encoded traversal sequences that bypass directory restrictions and allow access to files outside the intended web root.

Successful exploitation may allow authenticated attackers to get disclosure of sensitive system files and credentials, while unauthenticated attackers may gain access to non-sensitive static assets.

CVSS v4.0 Score: 6.9 / Medium

CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:N/SA:N

CVE-2026-0652: Remote Code Execution by Guest User

On TP-Link Tapo C260 v1, command injection vulnerability exists due to improper sanitization in certain POST parameters during configuration synchronization. An authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary system commands with high impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability. It may cause full device compromise.

CVSS v4.0 Score: 8.7 /High

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L

CVE-2026-0653: Insecure Access Control

On TP-Link Tapo C260 v1 and D235 v1, a guest‑level authenticated user can bypass intended access restrictions by sending crafted requests to a synchronization endpoint. This allows modification of protected device settings despite limited privileges. An attacker may change sensitive configuration parameters without authorization, resulting in unauthorized device state manipulation but not full code execution.

CVSS v4.0 Score: 7.2 /High

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Affected Products/Versions and Fixes:

Recommendations:

We strongly recommend that users with affected devices take the following actions:

1. Follow the instructions to update to the latest firmware version to fix the vulnerabilities:

US: https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/tapo-c260/v1/

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/tapo-c520ws/

EN: https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/tapo-c260/v1/

https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/tapo-d235/

https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/tapo-c520ws/

Note: Tapo D235 is not sold in the US.

Acknowledgements

We thank spaceraccoon for responsibly reporting these issues to us.

Disclaimer:

If you do not take all recommended actions, this vulnerability will remain. TP-Link cannot bear any responsibility for consequences that could have been avoided by following this advisory.