Man-in-the-middle compromise via unverified SSH host keys
Published Dec 5, 2022 · Updated Apr 24, 2025
Improper authentication in MobaXterm before 22.2 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to intercept new SSH and SFTP connections. The SSH and SFTP session startup path automatically accepts an unseen server host key instead of validating the remote host identity. The default configuration exposes first-time connections, and enabled SSH-agent forwarding lets an interceptor reuse the agent to access other servers.
Summary
What happened
Improper authentication in MobaXterm before 22.2 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to intercept new SSH and SFTP connections. The SSH and SFTP session startup path automatically accepts an unseen server host key instead of validating the remote host identity. The default configuration exposes first-time connections, and enabled SSH-agent forwarding lets an interceptor reuse the agent to access other servers.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-38336
- Published
- Dec 5, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 24, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-287, CAPEC-94, T1557
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 5, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 24, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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
- SSH-MITM MobaXterm host-key validation demonstrationproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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