CVE-2025-55293Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Unauthenticated public-key replacement via empty NodeInfo key

Published Aug 18, 2025 · Updated Aug 18, 2025

Improper authentication in Meshtastic Firmware before 2.6.3 allows remote attackers to replace a known node's stored public key. NodeDB's updateUser path accepts an empty NodeInfo key, clears the saved key length, and then treats a follow-up attacker key as the node's first key. The two packets must target a known node, after which the malicious key is stored in NodeDB and undermines that node's identity.

CVSS severity9.4
Critical
EPSS probability0.42%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper authentication in Meshtastic Firmware before 2.6.3 allows remote attackers to replace a known node's stored public key. NodeDB's updateUser path accepts an empty NodeInfo key, clears the saved key length, and then treats a follow-up attacker key as the node's first key. The two packets must target a known node, after which the malicious key is stored in NodeDB and undermines that node's identity.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-55293
Published
Aug 18, 2025
Updated
Aug 18, 2025
Vendor
Meshtastic
Product
Meshtastic Firmware
Classifications
CWE-287, T1556
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 18, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 2.6.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Meshtastic · Meshtastic Firmwareversion=< 2.6.3

Published CVSS scores

9.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.4GitHub CNACVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-287Improper Authentication
T1556Modify Authentication Process

Public exploit references

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

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo