Full Report
Taiwanese company Moxa has released a security update to address a critical security flaw impacting its PT switches that could permit an attacker to bypass authentication guarantees. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-12297, has been assigned a CVSS v4 score of 9.2 out of a maximum of 10.0. "Multiple Moxa PT switches are vulnerable to an authentication bypass because of flaws in their
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Critical Authentication Bypass in Moxa PT Switches
## CVE Details
- CVE ID: CVE-2024-12297
- CVSS Score: 9.2 (Critical)
- CWE: Authorization Logic Flaw (Implied)
## Affected Systems
- Products: Moxa PT Switches (Multiple Series)
- Versions:
- PT-508 Series: Firmware version 3.8 and earlier
- PT-510 Series: Firmware version 3.8 and earlier
- PT-7528 Series: Firmware version 5.0 and earlier
- PT-7728 Series: Firmware version 3.9 and earlier
- PT-7828 Series: Firmware version 4.0 and earlier
- PT-G503 Series: Firmware version 5.3 and earlier
- PT-G510 Series: Firmware version 6.5 and earlier
- PT-G7728 Series: Firmware version 6.5 and earlier
- PT-G7828 Series: Firmware version 6.5 and earlier
- Configurations: Flaws exist in the authorization mechanism despite client-side and back-end server verification.
*Note: The same vulnerability affects EDS-508A Series (Firmware version 3.11 and earlier), which was patched earlier.*
## Vulnerability Description
Multiple Moxa PT switches are susceptible to an authentication bypass due to fundamental flaws in how the authorization mechanism is implemented. An attacker can exploit these weaknesses to bypass authentication guarantees. This vulnerability specifically allows for brute-force attacks to guess valid credentials or MD5 collision attacks to forge authentication hashes, leading to unauthorized access.
## Exploitation
- Status: Not explicitly stated as exploited in the wild, but PoC potential exists via described methods.
- Complexity: Implied to be low to medium, given the description of brute-force and MD5 collision attacks being viable.
- Attack Vector: Network (Implied, as it concerns remote switch access).
## Impact
- Confidentiality: High (Unauthorized access to sensitive configurations).
- Integrity: High (Potential to tamper with device configurations).
- Availability: Medium/High (Potential to disrupt services).
## Remediation
### Patches
- Patches must be obtained by contacting the Moxa Technical Support team. (Specific fixed firmware versions are not listed in the summary.)
### Workarounds
- Restrict network access using firewalls or Access Control Lists (ACLs).
- Enforce network segmentation.
- Minimize direct exposure of these devices to the internet.
- Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for accessing critical systems.
- Enable event logging and monitor network traffic/device behavior for unusual activities.
## Detection
- Indicators of compromise (IOCs) are not explicitly detailed, but suspicious activities include:
- High volume of attempted login failures (indicating brute-force attempts).
- Successful logins from unexpected IP addresses.
- Evidence of MD5 hash manipulation in authentication logs (if logging is detailed enough).
- Detection methods should focus on monitoring authentication attempts against the affected devices and inspecting network traffic for anomalous patterns interacting with the authorization endpoints.
## References
- Vendor Advisory (MPSA-241408): hxxps://www.moxa.com/en/support/product-support/security-advisory/mpsa-241408-cve-2024-12297-frontend-authorization-logic-disclosure-vulnerability-identified-in-pt-switches
- Related EDS-508A Patch Advisory: hxxps://www.moxa.com/en/support/product-support/security-advisory/mpsa-241407-cve-2024-12297-frontend-authorization-logic-disclosure-vulnerability-in-eds-508a-series