Physical authentication bypass via exposed bootloader menu
Published Mar 7, 2023 · Updated Jan 16, 2025
Authentication bypass in affected Moxa UC Series bootloaders allows physically proximate attackers to gain full system access via a console cable. The bootloader permits BIOS access after a restart and accepts altered command-line options that open a terminal, where authentication files can be changed to create a new user. Exploitation requires physical access, a console cable, and an exposed bootloader menu; successful use grants full control of the device.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in affected Moxa UC Series bootloaders allows physically proximate attackers to gain full system access via a console cable. The bootloader permits BIOS access after a restart and accepts altered command-line options that open a terminal, where authentication files can be changed to create a new user. Exploitation requires physical access, a console cable, and an exposed bootloader menu; successful use grants full control of the device.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-1257
- Published
- Mar 7, 2023
- Updated
- Jan 16, 2025
- Vendor
- Moxa
- Product
- UC-8580 Series
- Classifications
- T1098
- Attack vector
- physical
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 7, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 16, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=V1.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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