CVE-2026-8988Public exploit

Operating system access via unprotected UART boot interruption

Published Jul 21, 2026 · Updated Jul 21, 2026

Improper access control in Autel MaxiCharger AC Single firmware through 1.03.51 allows physically proximate attackers to gain OS access. The exposed UART interface permits interruption of the boot sequence without an access-control check, exposing the U-Boot command environment. Physical access to the charger hardware is required; successful use permits modification of the boot configuration or file system.

CVSS severity8.6
High
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper access control in Autel MaxiCharger AC Single firmware through 1.03.51 allows physically proximate attackers to gain OS access. The exposed UART interface permits interruption of the boot sequence without an access-control check, exposing the U-Boot command environment. Physical access to the charger hardware is required; successful use permits modification of the boot configuration or file system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-8988
Published
Jul 21, 2026
Updated
Jul 21, 2026
Vendor
Autel
Product
MaxiCharger AC Single
Classifications
CWE-1191, CAPEC-1, T1059.008
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 21, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 21, 2026Record 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=0 <=V1.03.51

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Autel · MaxiCharger AC Singleversion=0 <=V1.03.51

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.6CyberDanubeCVSS:4.0/AV:P/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

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)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1191On-Chip Debug and Test Interface With Improper Access Control
CAPEC-1Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs
T1059.008Command and Scripting Interpreter Network Device CLI

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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