Remote root access via embedded default credentials
Published Jan 6, 2026 · Updated Jan 6, 2026
Hard-coded credentials in Adtec Digital embedded Linux products allow remote attackers to obtain root shell access over SSH or Telnet. The firmware image provisions shared privileged accounts and accepts their fixed passwords through web, Telnet, and SSH authentication. Network access to a management service is sufficient; the public demonstration logs in as UID 0 and invokes commands without prior authentication.
Summary
What happened
Hard-coded credentials in Adtec Digital embedded Linux products allow remote attackers to obtain root shell access over SSH or Telnet. The firmware image provisions shared privileged accounts and accepts their fixed passwords through web, Telnet, and SSH authentication. Network access to a management service is sufficient; the public demonstration logs in as UID 0 and invokes commands without prior authentication.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-36915
- Published
- Jan 6, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 6, 2026
- Vendor
- Adtec Digital
- Product
- adManage Traffic & Media Management Application
- Classifications
- CWE-798, CWE-1392, T1078.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 6, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=2.5.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Adtec Digital Multiple Products - Default Hardcoded Credentials Remote Rootfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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