# CVE-2016-8717: Hardcoded credentials in Moxa

> Attackers can gain full root control of Moxa AWK-3131A devices by exploiting hard-coded credentials in the firmware.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 2 Apr 2018
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-244f-3h24-62fj

## What is CVE-2016-8717?

CVE-2016-8717 is a critical vulnerability in Talos Moxa, published on 2 Apr 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An exploitable Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability exists in the Moxa AWK-3131A Wireless Access Point running firmware 1.1. The device operating system contains an undocumented, privileged (root) account with hard-coded credentials, giving attackers full control of affected devices.

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8717?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Moxa Awk-3131a Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8717?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-8717 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-8717 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8717 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Talos Moxa

- [CVE-2017-14459](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14459/): Command injection in Moxa (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2019-5138](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5138/): Command injection in Moxa (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2019-5153](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5153/): Memory corruption in Moxa (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2019-5162](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5162/): Missing authorization in Moxa (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2016-8721](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8721/): Command injection in Moxa AWK-3131A WAP (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8717 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8717 is a critical vulnerability in Talos Moxa, published on 2 Apr 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8717 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Talos Moxa. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8717/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8717/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8717
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8717
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8717

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8717/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.