CVE-2026-44091 in CHARX SEC-3150
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
An unauthenticated remote attacker can post a malicious ID to the MQTT Broker results in the creation of a new configuration entry in the system configuration. This may lead to integrity and availability loss.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in MQTT broker implementations that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to inject malicious identifiers into the system configuration. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the broker's configuration management interface, where legitimate configuration entries can be created through seemingly benign MQTT messaging protocols without proper authentication or authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of a weakness in the message processing pipeline where incoming identifiers are not properly validated against expected formats or authorized sources. When an attacker successfully posts a malicious ID to the broker, the system accepts and processes this input as a legitimate configuration entry, effectively creating a new configuration object that can be referenced throughout the system. This flaw operates at the application layer and typically affects MQTT brokers that implement dynamic configuration management capabilities, where configuration entries are automatically created based on incoming messages without proper security validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns to encompass both confidentiality and availability risks within the affected system. The creation of unauthorized configuration entries can lead to cascading failures as malicious configurations may override legitimate settings, redirect traffic through unauthorized paths, or disable critical system functions. This represents a significant threat to system stability and can potentially enable further exploitation pathways such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within networked environments. The vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-285 which addresses insufficient authorization in configuration management systems.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to achieve persistence within the MQTT infrastructure by establishing unauthorized configuration entries that can survive system restarts and maintain their impact across multiple operational periods. The lack of authentication requirements means that any network-accessible MQTT broker implementing this flaw can be exploited by remote adversaries without requiring prior access credentials or system compromise. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the ATT&CK framework under the T1059.001 technique category for command and control through application layer protocols, while also supporting T1484.001 for privilege escalation through configuration modification.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust authentication mechanisms before allowing any configuration modifications to be processed by the MQTT broker. This includes requiring valid client certificates or API keys for configuration management operations, implementing strict input validation that filters out potentially malicious identifiers, and establishing proper access control lists that define which entities can create or modify specific configuration entries. Additionally, system administrators should implement monitoring solutions that track configuration changes and alert on unauthorized modifications to ensure early detection of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of principle of least privilege in IoT and messaging infrastructure security, where configuration management operations should never be accessible to unauthenticated users under any circumstances.