# CVE-2026-78578: TP-Link Tapo C120/C200 authentication bypass in HTTPS onboarding

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-78578-tapo-c120-v1-and-c200-v5-do-not-enforce-authentication-for-do  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-01. Updated: 2026-10-05  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-78578 · Severity: info · Published 2026-10-01

TP-Link Tapo C120 and C200 wireless cameras fail to enforce authentication during the post-setup onboarding phase, allowing an attacker on the same network to reconfigure wireless settings without credentials. An attacker can redirect the camera to a different network, disconnecting it from its intended connection and rendering it unavailable for monitoring.

Technologies: [TP-Link Tapo C120](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/tapo-c120), [TP-Link Tapo C200](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/tapo-c200). Vendors: [TP-Link](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/tp-link).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-78578 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-78578 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-78578?** Informational severity, published 1 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** TP-Link Tapo C120 v1; TP-Link Tapo C200 v5.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-78578?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-78578 attacked?** It is attacked from the adjacent network or over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-78578?** Check whether you run TP-Link Tapo C120 or TP-Link Tapo C200 at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The devices do not validate authentication credentials for the HTTPS "do method" onboarding connection action after initial setup is complete. An adjacent attacker can submit crafted wireless configuration parameters to cause the camera to attempt connection to an attacker-controlled or non-existent network, triggering a denial-of-service condition. Authentication bypass occurs over HTTPS with network-adjacent access required.

## Affected products

- TP-Link Tapo C120 v1
- TP-Link Tapo C200 v5

## Timeline

- 2026-10-01: disclosed

## References

- [https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/tapo-c120/v1.26/](https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/tapo-c120/v1.26/)
- [https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/tapo-c200/v5/](https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/tapo-c200/v5/)

## Related threats

- [TP-Link Tapo C120 v1 and C200 v5 NULL pointer dereference](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-9032-tapo-c120-v1-and-c200-v5-contain-a-null-pointer-dereference-in-the)
- [TP-Link Tapo C120 v1 and C200 V5 authentication bypass in onboarding scan](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-78577-tapo-c120-v1-and-c200-v5-contain-a-vulnerability-in-the-https)
- [TP-Link Tapo C120 and C200 authentication bypass and command execution](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-102369-tapo-c120-v1-and-c200-v5-do-not-adequately-protect-login)
- [An improper input validation vulnerability in the configuration service for processing encrypted credential data has…](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-15316-an-improper-input-validation-vulnerability-in-the-configuration)
- [Tapo C120 v1 and C200 v5 contain an improper authentication vulnerability within the login authentication verification…](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-15315-tapo-c120-v1-and-c200-v5-contain-an-improper-authentication)