CVE-2024-9138
Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XSummary
CVE-2024-9138 is a high-severity Reliance on Security Through Obscurity (CWE-656) vulnerability in Moxa (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique System Information Discovery (T1082); ranked in the top 36% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-8 (Security and Privacy Engineering Principles) and SC-13 (Cryptographic Protection) — 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.
CVE-2024-9138 is a high-severity vulnerability (CVSS 7.2, CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) affecting Moxa's cellular routers, secure routers, and network security appliances. The issue stems from hard-coded credentials (CWE-656), which allow an authenticated user to escalate privileges and obtain root-level access to the system.
An attacker with high-level privileges (PR:H) can exploit this vulnerability over the network (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L) and no user interaction required. Successful exploitation grants root access, enabling high-impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromises, such as full system control.
Moxa's security advisory (MPSA-241155) details the privilege escalation and related OS command injection vulnerabilities in the affected products, providing guidance on mitigation measures. Security practitioners should consult the advisory at https://www.moxa.com/en/support/product-support/security-advisory/mpsa-241155-privilege-escalation-and-os-command-injection-vulnerabilities-in-cellular-routers,-secure-routers,-and-netwo for patching instructions and workarounds.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-50434
Vulnerability Data
Moxa’s cellular routers, secure routers, and network security appliances are affected by a high-severity vulnerability, CVE-2024-9138. This vulnerability involves hard-coded credentials, enabling an authenticated user to escalate privileges and gain root-level access to the system, posing a significant security risk.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V6.3.4
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Requires selection and implementation of approved cryptographic methods whose strength does not rest on secrecy of design.
Security and privacy engineering principles explicitly prohibit reliance on obscurity and require documented, verifiable protection mechanisms.
Requires cryptographic or equivalent protection of information at rest, eliminating dependence on obscurity for confidentiality.
Mandates actual cryptographic or equivalent protection of transmitted data rather than depending on hidden algorithms or keys.
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.
Secure SDLC practices explicitly reject obscurity-based designs in favor of proven controls.
Risk-management policy can mandate avoidance of obscurity but does not itself implement technical alternatives.
Risk analysis surfaces obscurity as a weakness yet does not prevent its introduction.
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.
Mandates use of cryptography whose strength is independent of secrecy of design or keys.
Requires secure architecture and engineering principles that reject reliance on obscurity.
Requires authentication mechanisms whose strength does not depend on secrecy of implementation.
Secure-coding rules prohibit hidden or undocumented security mechanisms.
Security testing can expose mechanisms whose only protection is obscurity.