The vulnerability allows an attacker to send crafted files to the firmware update endpoint of the device. Because the device terminates core services before verifying authentication or firmware integrity, the attacker can cause a persistent denial of service that requires a manual reboot or application‑initiated restart to restore normal operation.

TP‑Link Systems Inc. devices Tapo C220 (first generation) and Tapo C520WS (second generation) are affected. Firmware download links for these models are available on TP‑Link’s support site. No additional version information is provided beyond the model identifiers.

The CVSS score of 7.1 indicates a high impact vulnerability, while the EPSS score of less than 1% suggests a low probability of exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, which limits known exploit prevalence. An unauthenticated attacker, typically with access to the local network, can trigger the denial of service by targeting the update endpoint; the lack of authentication or integrity checks allows the exploit to be performed without special privileges.