CVE-2026-75619 in Tapo C100
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Tapo C100/C101 V5 contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the RTSP service. An authenticated attacker on the local network can send specially crafted RTSP frame data containing oversized length values, resulting in out-of-bounds heap writes.
Successful exploitation can crash the RTSP service and trigger a device reboot, resulting in a temporary denial-of-service condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The Tapo C100 and C101 V5 security cameras are equipped with an Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) service designed to facilitate video streaming for surveillance applications. This specific vulnerability resides within the parsing logic of that RTSP implementation, specifically involving how the device handles length fields in incoming protocol frames. The flaw is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow, which occurs when a program writes data past the boundary of an allocated memory block on the heap. In this context, the vulnerability allows for out-of-bounds heap writes if an attacker provides specially crafted RTSP frame data containing oversized or malformed length values. This type of error typically arises from insufficient validation of input parameters before they are used to allocate memory or copy data into fixed-size buffers.
From a technical perspective, the exploitation requires authentication and local network access, which significantly narrows the attack surface compared to remote unauthenticated exploits. An authenticated attacker positioned on the same local area network can interact with the RTSP service by sending packets that trigger this buffer overflow condition. When the device processes these malformed frames, it attempts to write data beyond the limits of the allocated heap memory. This corruption of adjacent memory structures often leads to immediate instability within the application process responsible for handling video streams. The primary operational impact observed is a crash of the RTSP service itself. Because many embedded IoT devices are configured with watchdog timers or automatic restart mechanisms, this crash frequently triggers a full device reboot as part of its recovery procedure.
The consequence of this behavior is effectively a temporary denial-of-service condition. While the attacker cannot necessarily achieve arbitrary code execution in this specific instance due to the observed outcome being a service crash and reboot rather than shell access, the ability to repeatedly trigger reboots can disrupt continuous monitoring capabilities. For security operations relying on uninterrupted video feeds from these cameras, such instability undermines reliability and availability. Furthermore, frequent reboots may lead to log loss or configuration resets depending on how the device handles state during restarts, potentially complicating forensic analysis after an incident.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers such as CWE-120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write. These classifications highlight the fundamental failure in input validation and memory management practices within the firmware. In terms of tactical mapping, this scenario relates to MITRE ATT&CK techniques involving resource hijacking or disruption through service crashes, although it lacks the persistence or privilege escalation aspects seen in more severe remote code execution flaws.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize applying vendor-provided firmware updates that address the input validation logic within the RTSP parser. If immediate patching is not feasible, network segmentation can serve as a compensating control by restricting access to the camera management interfaces and streaming ports to only trusted subnets or specific administrative hosts. Additionally, implementing strict firewall rules that limit incoming connections on port 554, which is standard for RTSP, can reduce exposure. Security teams should also monitor for unusual patterns of device reboots or authentication failures associated with these models as indicators of potential exploitation attempts in the wild.