CVE-2024-26001
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to write memory out of bounds via improper input validation in the MQTT stack. It affects systems using vulnerable MQTT implementations, potentially leading to remote code execution or denial of service. The attack's success is limited by memory randomization, making brute force attempts unreliable.
💻 Affected Systems
- MQTT implementations with the specific vulnerability
📦 What is this software?
Charx Sec 3000 Firmware by Phoenixcontact
Charx Sec 3050 Firmware by Phoenixcontact
Charx Sec 3100 Firmware by Phoenixcontact
Charx Sec 3150 Firmware by Phoenixcontact
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Denial of service through application crashes or memory corruption, potentially disrupting MQTT services.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, memory protection mechanisms, and exploit mitigations in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires bypassing memory randomization through brute force attempts, making it unreliable but still dangerous.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check vendor-specific updates
Vendor Advisory: https://cert.vde.com/en/advisories/VDE-2024-011
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Identify affected MQTT software. 2. Check vendor for security updates. 3. Apply patches according to vendor instructions. 4. Restart affected services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
linuxRestrict MQTT traffic to trusted networks only
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 1883 -s trusted_network -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 1883 -j DROP
Disable MQTT if Unused
linuxStop and disable MQTT services if not required
systemctl stop mosquitto
systemctl disable mosquitto
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit MQTT exposure
- Enable memory protection mechanisms like ASLR and DEP
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check MQTT software version against vendor advisories and test with vulnerability scanners if available.Check Version:
mosquitto -h | grep version (for Mosquitto) or check specific MQTT software documentationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify MQTT software has been updated to patched version and test with known exploit attempts if safe testing environment exists.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual MQTT connection attempts
- MQTT service crashes
- Memory corruption errors in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Multiple malformed MQTT packets from single source
- Brute force patterns in MQTT traffic
SIEM Query:
source="mqtt.log" AND (error OR crash OR "out of bounds")