CVE-2024-47078
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-47078 is an authentication and authorization bypass vulnerability in Meshtastic's MQTT implementation that allows unauthorized control of MQTT-connected nodes. This affects all Meshtastic users who use MQTT for internet-based communication between nodes. Attackers can potentially take control of devices in the mesh network.
💻 Affected Systems
- Meshtastic firmware
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the mesh network with attackers controlling all MQTT-connected nodes, enabling data interception, device manipulation, and disruption of communications.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to specific nodes allowing data eavesdropping, message injection, and limited device control within the affected portion of the network.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with only isolated node compromise if network segmentation and additional authentication layers are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability involves authentication bypass, making exploitation straightforward once the attack vector is understood.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.5.1
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware/security/advisories/GHSA-vqcq-wjwx-7252
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Meshtastic firmware to version 2.5.1 or later. 2. Restart all affected nodes. 3. Verify MQTT connections are properly authenticated.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable MQTT Internet Communication
allTemporarily disable MQTT-based internet communication and rely only on direct Bluetooth connections between phones and nodes.
Disable MQTT in Meshtastic settings
Network Segmentation
allIsolate MQTT servers and Meshtastic nodes on separate network segments with strict firewall rules.
Configure firewall to restrict MQTT traffic to trusted sources only
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network-level authentication for MQTT traffic using VPNs or TLS client certificates
- Monitor MQTT traffic for unauthorized access attempts and implement rate limiting
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Meshtastic firmware version. If version is below 2.5.1 and MQTT is enabled, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check device info in Meshtastic app or use AT+VER command on serial interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm firmware version is 2.5.1 or later and test MQTT authentication by attempting unauthorized access.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful MQTT connections
- Unusual MQTT publish/subscribe patterns from unknown sources
Network Indicators:
- MQTT traffic from unexpected IP addresses
- Unencrypted MQTT traffic on port 1883
SIEM Query:
mqtt AND (authentication_failed OR connection_success) FROM meshtastic*