CVE-2026-61886 in cMT3092X
Summary
by MITRE • 07/25/2026
Weintek cMT3092X HMI stores user account passwords in plaintext.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2026
The Weintek cMT3092X human machine interface device presents a critical security vulnerability through its insecure storage of user account passwords in plaintext format. This flaw represents a fundamental failure in credential management practices and exposes the system to significant unauthorized access risks. The device stores passwords without any form of cryptographic protection or hashing, making them immediately accessible to anyone with sufficient privileges to read the configuration files or memory contents. This vulnerability directly violates established security principles and creates an attack surface that can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from the device's design philosophy where password storage occurs without any form of cryptographic protection mechanisms. When users create or modify accounts within the cMT3092X interface, their credentials are written directly to storage media in plain text format rather than being processed through secure hashing algorithms or encryption schemes. This approach fundamentally contradicts industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for secure authentication systems. The plaintext storage creates a persistent risk where compromised access to any system component that can read these files immediately grants full authentication privileges to all user accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple credential theft, creating cascading security risks throughout industrial control environments. An attacker who gains access to the device configuration or memory contents can immediately escalate privileges and gain complete administrative control over the HMI system. This represents a severe violation of the principle of least privilege and creates opportunities for denial of service attacks, data manipulation, or unauthorized process control modifications. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in industrial settings where HMI devices often serve as gateways to critical infrastructure systems, making this flaw a potential pathway for broader operational disruptions.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from manifesting in the future. Organizations should immediately implement network segmentation to limit access to these devices and establish robust monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized access attempts. The device firmware should be updated to implement proper password hashing using industry-standard algorithms such as bcrypt or scrypt, with salt values applied to each credential to prevent rainbow table attacks. Additionally, system administrators should enforce strict access controls through role-based permissions and implement multi-factor authentication where possible. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a clear violation of ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) as it provides attackers with legitimate credentials to exploit system access controls. The remediation process should also include comprehensive security awareness training for operators and administrators to understand the implications of plaintext credential storage in industrial environments.