CVE-2021-38543

MEDIUM

TP-Link UE330 Firmware < 2021-08-09 - Speech Signal Recovery via Power Indicator LED

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Description

TP-Link UE330 USB splitter devices through 2021-08-09, in certain specific use cases in which the device supplies power to audio-output equipment, allow remote attackers to recover speech signals from an LED on the device, via a telescope and an electro-optical sensor, aka a "Glowworm" attack. We assume that the USB splitter supplies power to some speakers. The power indicator LED of the USB splitter is connected directly to the power line, as a result, the intensity of the USB splitter's power indicator LED is correlative to its power consumption. The sound played by the connected speakers affects the USB splitter's power consumption and as a result is also correlative to the light intensity of the LED. By analyzing measurements obtained from an electro-optical sensor directed at the power indicator LED of the USB splitter, we can recover the sound played by the connected speakers.

References (1)

Core 1
Core References
Exploit, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack

Scores

CVSS v3 5.9
EPSS 0.0029
EPSS Percentile 52.7%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Details

Status published
Products (1)
tp-link/ue330_firmware < 2021-08-09
Published Aug 11, 2021
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026