Unauthenticated root access via exposed UART console
Published Sep 9, 2025 · Updated Sep 12, 2025
Improper privilege management in Calix GigaCenter ONT models allows physically proximate attackers to gain root access through a UART console. The Quantenna SoC debugging interface starts a full root shell without requesting credentials when a serial adapter connects at 115200 baud. Exploitation requires device disassembly and physical access; affected models permit reading sensitive files and modifying services or firmware.
Summary
What happened
Improper privilege management in Calix GigaCenter ONT models allows physically proximate attackers to gain root access through a UART console. The Quantenna SoC debugging interface starts a full root shell without requesting credentials when a serial adapter connects at 115200 baud. Exploitation requires device disassembly and physical access; affected models permit reading sensitive files and modifying services or firmware.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-53913
- Published
- Sep 9, 2025
- Updated
- Sep 12, 2025
- Vendor
- Calix
- Product
- GigaCenter ONT
- Classifications
- CWE-269, CAPEC-122, T1200
- Attack vector
- physical
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 12, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=812G
- Affected versionversion=813G
- Affected versionversion=818G
- Affected versionversion=844E
- Affected versionversion=844G
- Affected versionversion=844GE
- Affected versionversion=854GE
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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