CVE-2020-27150 – This vulnerability in Moxa NPort IA5000A Series... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2020-27150?

CVE-2020-27150 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). This vulnerability in Moxa NPort IA5000A Series serial device servers exposes all user passwords and sensitive data when exporting device configuration if a pre-shared key is not set. Attackers can obtain administrative credentials and compromise the entire device. Organizations using these devices in industrial control systems are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in Moxa NPort IA5000A Series serial device servers exposes all user passwords and sensitive data when exporting device configuration if a pre-shared key is not set. Attackers can obtain administrative credentials and compromise the entire device. Organizations using these devices in industrial control systems are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Moxa NPort IA5000A Series Serial Device Servers

Versions: All versions prior to firmware version 1.7

Operating Systems: Embedded firmware

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Vulnerability only occurs when 'Pre-shared key' is not configured before exporting configuration.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete device takeover, credential theft enabling lateral movement in industrial networks, potential disruption of critical industrial processes.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized access to device configuration, credential harvesting, potential device manipulation or data exfiltration.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited to configuration data exposure if proper network segmentation and access controls are implemented.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Direct exposure of credentials to internet attackers if devices are publicly accessible.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers or compromised systems could exploit this to gain privileged access.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Requires access to export configuration feature, but no authentication bypass needed if legitimate access exists.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Firmware version 1.7

Vendor Advisory: https://www.moxa.com/en/support/product-support/security-advisory/nport-ia5000a-serial-device-servers-vulnerabilities

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download firmware version 1.7 from Moxa website. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Upload and install new firmware via web interface. 4. Reboot device. 5. Restore configuration if needed.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Configure Pre-shared Key

all

Set a pre-shared key before exporting any device configuration to prevent password exposure.

Restrict Configuration Export Access

all

Limit access to configuration export functionality to authorized administrators only.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Configure strong pre-shared key on all devices before any configuration export
Implement strict network segmentation to isolate NPort devices from untrusted networks

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if firmware version is below 1.7 and test configuration export without pre-shared key set.

Check Version:

Check via web interface: System > System Information > Firmware Version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version is 1.7 or higher and confirm configuration export no longer contains plaintext passwords.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Multiple configuration export attempts
Unauthorized access to configuration management

Network Indicators:

Unusual configuration file transfers from NPort devices
Traffic to/from NPort web interface from unexpected sources

SIEM Query:

source="nport" AND (event="config_export" OR url_path="/config_export")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2020-27150

CVSS v3 Score: 7.5 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Published: May 14, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON