Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-32238

Exposed Creds

High EPSSExposed Creds
Published
22 April 2024
Modified
15 April 2026
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.53 99th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-32238 is a critical-severity Insufficiently Protected Credentials (CWE-522) vulnerability in H3C ER8300G2-X (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Unsecured Credentials (T1552); ranked in the top 1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SC-28 (Protection of Information at Rest) and SC-8 (Transmission Confidentiality and Integrity) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

H3C ER8300G2-X routers are affected by an incorrect access control vulnerability tracked as CVE-2024-32238. The flaw allows the administrative password to be retrieved directly through the management interface login page, exposing credentials without any authentication. The issue is classified under CWE-522 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8, reflecting network-accessible exploitation with no required privileges or user interaction.

An unauthenticated remote attacker can connect to the router's web management interface and obtain the cleartext administrative password, granting full control over device configuration, traffic, and connected networks. This enables complete compromise of the affected enterprise router without prior credentials or physical access.

The associated EPSS score has reached a peak of 0.9086 with a current value of 0.8778, indicating sustained exploitation interest following public disclosure. No vendor advisory or patch information is provided in the referenced sources.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

H3C ER8300G2-X is vulnerable to Incorrect Access Control. The password for the router's management system can be accessed via the management system page login interface.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1552 Unsecured Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may search compromised systems to find and obtain insecurely stored credentials.
T1552.001 Credentials In Files Credential Access
Adversaries may search local file systems and remote file shares for files containing insecurely stored credentials.
T1021 Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
T1078 Valid Accounts Stealth
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of existing accounts as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion.
T1114.002 Remote Email Collection Collection
Adversaries may target an Exchange server, Office 365, or Google Workspace to collect sensitive information.
T1550.003 Pass the Ticket Lateral Movement
Adversaries may “pass the ticket” using stolen Kerberos tickets to move laterally within an environment, bypassing normal system access controls.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-34887Shared CWE-522
CVE-2025-13163Shared CWE-522
CVE-2026-9395Shared CWE-522
CVE-2026-6253Shared CWE-522
CVE-2026-31926Shared CWE-522
CVE-2024-51545Shared CWE-522
CVE-2023-38548Shared CWE-522
CVE-2023-33263Shared CWE-522
CVE-2026-28204Shared CWE-522
CVE-2024-34882Shared CWE-522

Affected Assets

H3C
ER8300G2-X
inferred from references and description; NVD did not file a CPE for this CVE

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 1 hardening rule · 1 OS baseline
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V11.3.3

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Protection of information at rest requires encryption or equivalent safeguards for stored credentials.

Transmission confidentiality and integrity enforcement stops credentials from being sent in plaintext or without protection.

Authenticator management requires secure generation, storage, and distribution of credentials, directly stopping insecure methods.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.DS-01 full match
prevents

Encrypting data-at-rest fully prevents insecure credential storage while only partially satisfying the broader data-protection outcome.

PR.DS-02 full match
prevents

Encrypting data-in-transit fully prevents interception of credentials in motion while only partially satisfying the broader data-protection outcome.

PR.AA-01 mostly match
prevents

Credential management practices directly reduce insecure storage/transmission but do not guarantee encryption or transport protection.

PR.AA-04 mostly match
prevents

Protecting identity assertions covers conveyance of credentials but is narrower than full credential lifecycle protection.

PR.AA-03 partial match
prevents

Authentication policies can enforce stronger credential handling yet address only verification, not storage or transit protection.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Requiring protected storage, transmission, and non-display of passwords prevents credentials from being stored or sent in clear text where they can be harvested by unauthorized actors.

prevents

Protecting secret and private keys against disclosure and unauthorized use decreases the exposure of credentials that are stored or transmitted in recoverable form.

prevents

Forbidding clear-text transmission and display of passwords, plus the use of stronger alternatives to passwords, prevents credentials from being obtained or reused by attackers.

prevents

Acceptable-use expectations that cover protection of credentials and information assets throughout their lifecycle discourage practices that expose or mishandle authentication material.

prevents

Contractual clauses that survive termination help ensure that credentials and other secrets are not retained or misused after employment ends.

prevents

Regular reminders about password security and personal accountability make users less likely to store or transmit credentials in cleartext or other unprotected forms.

References