# CVE-2024-45038: Device crash via malformed MQTT packet when downlink is enabled in Meshtastic device firmware

> Attackers can crash Meshtastic devices by sending malformed MQTT packets when downlink is enabled, requiring a firmware update.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 27 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 28 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3x3r-vw9f-pxq5

## What is CVE-2024-45038?

CVE-2024-45038 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in meshtastic firmware, published on 27 Aug 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Meshtastic device firmware is a firmware for meshtastic devices to run an open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh network built to run on affordable, low-power devices. Meshtastic device firmware is subject to a denial of serivce vulnerability in MQTT handling, fixed in version 2.4.1 of the Meshtastic firmware and on the Meshtastic public MQTT Broker. It's strongly suggested that all users of Meshtastic, particularly those that connect to a privately hosted MQTT server, update to this or a more recent stable version right away. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-755 (Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-45038?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Meshtastic Meshtastic Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-45038?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-45038 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-45038 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-45038 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in meshtastic firmware

- [CVE-2025-52464](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52464/): Meshtastic Repeated Public and Private Keypairs (critical 9.5)
- [CVE-2025-55293](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55293/): Meshtastic allows crafting of specific NodeInfo packets that overwrite any publicKey saved in the NodeDB (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2025-24797](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24797/): Meshtastic incorrectly hands malformed packets leads to controlled buffer overflow (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2025-55292](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55292/): In Meshtastic, an attacker can spoof licensed amateur flag for a node (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2024-47078](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-47078/): Meshtastic firmware Authentication/Authorization Bypass via MQTT (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-45038 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-45038 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in meshtastic firmware, published on 27 Aug 2024. 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-2024-45038 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: meshtastic firmware. 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-2024-45038/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45038/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-45038
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-45038
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-45038

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45038/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.