CVE-2026-44090
Received Received - Intake

Unauthenticated Access to MQTT Broker in Device

Publication date: 2026-07-30

Last updated on: 2026-07-30

Assigner: CERT VDE

Description
Due to missing authentication, an unauthenticated remote attacker may access the MQTT broker, which is only protected from external access by a firewall. This may lead to the device being fully compromised.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-30
Last Modified
2026-07-30
Generated
2026-08-19
AI Q&A
2026-07-30
EPSS Evaluated
2026-08-18
NVD
CVE-2026-44090
EUVD
EUVD-2026-51025

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
phoenix_contact charx_sec-3xxx to 1.9.1 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-306 The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-44090 is a critical vulnerability in Phoenix Contact's CHARX SEC-3xxx EV charging controllers. It involves missing authentication for a critical function, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to access the MQTT broker. This access can lead to full device compromise, including unauthorized control, data theft, or service disruption.

Detection Guidance

Check if your Phoenix Contact CHARX SEC-3xxx device is running firmware versions prior to 1.9.1. Use network scanning tools like nmap to identify MQTT brokers on port 1883 or 8883. Verify if the MQTT broker allows unauthenticated connections by testing with MQTT client commands like 'mosquitto_sub -t "#" -v' or 'mosquitto_pub -t "test" -m "test"'.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows attackers to fully compromise affected devices, leading to unauthorized control, data theft, or service disruption. Attackers could manipulate charging operations, steal sensitive data, or disrupt charging services.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access, data theft, or service disruption, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (healthcare data security) due to potential exposure of sensitive information or system control.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update the firmware of affected Phoenix Contact CHARX SEC-3xxx devices to version 1.9.1 or later. Ensure the MQTT broker is not exposed to untrusted networks and restrict access via firewall rules. Monitor network traffic for unauthorized MQTT connections.

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