CVE-2026-20781 in CloudCharge
Summary
by MITRE • 02/27/2026
WebSocket endpoints lack proper authentication mechanisms, enabling attackers to perform unauthorized station impersonation and manipulate data sent to the backend. An unauthenticated attacker can connect to the OCPP WebSocket endpoint using a known or discovered charging station identifier, then issue or receive OCPP commands as a legitimate charger. Given that no authentication is required, this can lead to privilege escalation, unauthorized control of charging infrastructure, and corruption of charging network data reported to the backend.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2026
This vulnerability exists within WebSocket endpoints that serve as communication channels for charging stations in electric vehicle infrastructure, specifically within the Open Charge Point Protocol OCPP framework. The flaw represents a critical authentication bypass that allows attackers to impersonate legitimate charging stations without proper credentials or authorization. The vulnerability stems from the absence of any authentication mechanism at the WebSocket endpoint level, creating an inherent trust model that assumes all connections are legitimate. This design flaw enables unauthorized actors to establish connections using known or discovered charging station identifiers, effectively breaking the security boundary that should protect charging infrastructure from malicious interference.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the WebSocket protocol's connection establishment process where no authentication tokens, certificates, or credential validation occurs before allowing command processing. Attackers can exploit this weakness by connecting to the OCPP WebSocket endpoint using a valid charging station identifier, thereby gaining the ability to send and receive OCPP commands as if they were a legitimate charging station. This impersonation capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates a pathway for privilege escalation within the charging network ecosystem. The vulnerability specifically affects the OCPP protocol implementation where the system assumes all WebSocket connections originating from known station identifiers are trustworthy without verifying the connection source's authenticity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass complete compromise of charging infrastructure control and data integrity. An attacker with access to the WebSocket endpoint can manipulate charging sessions, alter billing information, and potentially disrupt charging operations across the entire network. The ability to send malicious OCPP commands as a legitimate station creates opportunities for data corruption, unauthorized charging operations, and potential denial of service attacks against other charging stations. This vulnerability particularly affects the backend systems that rely on accurate data from charging stations for billing, monitoring, and operational purposes, creating risks for financial losses and operational disruptions. The impact is amplified by the fact that charging station identifiers are often predictable or easily discoverable, making the attack surface larger than initially apparent.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust authentication mechanisms at the WebSocket endpoint level, including mutual TLS authentication, token-based authentication, or certificate-based verification before allowing command processing. Organizations should implement proper access control lists that validate connection origins and implement strict identity verification before granting access to OCPP command processing capabilities. The system should enforce mandatory authentication for all WebSocket connections and implement connection rate limiting to prevent brute force attacks against charging station identifiers. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unauthorized WebSocket connections and anomalous command patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials for unauthorized access. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security scanning tools to identify and remediate similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities across their charging infrastructure platforms.