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Mb3170 FirmwareOperating system · Moxa

CVE-2019-9096

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-03-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.0 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue was discovered on Moxa MGate MB3170 and MB3270 devices before 4.1, MB3280 and MB3480 devices before 3.1, MB3660 devices before 2.3, and MB3180 devices before 2.1. Insufficient password requirements for the MGate web application may allow an attacker to gain access by brute-forcing account passwords.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Moxa MGate series of serial-to-Ethernet gateways (MB3170, MB3270, MB3280, MB3480, MB3660, MB3180) have insufficient password complexity requirements in their web interface, enabling attackers to easily brute-force credentials. The critical CVSS score reflects network-exploitable, low-complexity attacks that can yield full device access.

MitigationUpdate firmware to version 4.1 (MB3170/MB3270), 3.1 (MB3280/MB3480), 2.3 (MB3660), or 2.1 (MB3180) or later to obtain patched password enforcement. Immediately restrict web interface network exposure and monitor for brute-force attempts.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Mb3170 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:<= 4.0
Mb3270 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:<= 4.0
Mb3180 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:<= 2.0
Mb3280 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:<= 3.0
Mb3480 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:<= 3.0
Mb3660 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:<= 2.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify your MGate device model
    Locate the device label on the physical unit or log into the web interface and check the system status or device information page for the exact model number (MB3170, MB3270, MB3180, MB3280, MB3480, or MB3660)
    Affected if The model is one of the affected variants: MB3170, MB3270, MB3180, MB3280, MB3480, or MB3660
  2. Determine the installed firmware version
    In the web interface, navigate to System Settings or System Information to view the firmware version. Alternatively, use the device's console or network management interface to query the firmware version
    Affected if The firmware version falls within the affected range: MB3170/MB3270 <= 4.0, MB3180 <= 2.0, MB3280/MB3480 <= 3.0, or MB3660 <= 2.2
  3. Verify web interface network exposure
    Check your network configuration to determine if the web interface (HTTP/HTTPS on port 80/443 or custom ports) is accessible from untrusted networks. Review firewall rules, ACLs, and device network settings
    Affected if The web interface is reachable from the internet or untrusted network segments, increasing exploitability
  4. Inspect password complexity policy
    Log into the web interface and navigate to User Management or Password Settings. Observe whether the system enforces minimum password length, character variety requirements (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, special characters), or prohibits weak/common passwords
    Affected if The password policy allows simple passwords (e.g., short lengths, no character diversity requirements, no dictionary word filtering)

Your device is affected if it is a MGate model (MB3170/MB3270/MB3180/MB3280/MB3480/MB3660) running firmware at or below the specified version threshold AND the web interface is network-accessible with weak password complexity enforcement.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.0
Interim mitigation

Update firmware to version 4.1 (MB3170/MB3270), 3.1 (MB3280/MB3480), 2.3 (MB3660), or 2.1 (MB3180) or later to obtain patched password enforcement. Immediately restrict web interface network exposure and monitor for brute-force attempts.

Recommended fix High confidence

MB3170/MB3270: firmware 4.1+ | MB3280/MB3480: firmware 3.1+ | MB3660: firmware 2.3+ | MB3180: firmware 2.1+

  1. 1. Identify the exact MGate model number (e.g., MB3170, MB3270, MB3280, MB3480, MB3660, or MB3180) and current firmware version via the device's web interface or console.
  2. 2. Download the appropriate fixed firmware version from the official Moxa support website (www.moxa.com): MB3170/MB3270 upgrade to firmware 4.1 or later; MB3280/MB3480 upgrade to firmware 3.1 or later; MB3660 upgrade to firmware 2.3 or later; MB3180 upgrade to firmware 2.1 or later.
  3. 3. Access the MGate web management interface and navigate to the System Settings or Firmware Upgrade section.
  4. 4. Upload the downloaded firmware file and initiate the upgrade process. Do not power off the device during the upgrade.
  5. 5. After the device reboots, verify the new firmware version is installed.
  6. 6. Configure strong passwords for all user accounts, utilizing the enhanced password policy features included in the fixed firmware release.
Caveat Review Moxa release notes for your specific model to check for any configuration or feature changes between your current version and the fixed version before upgrading.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mb3170 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,780
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-9096 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data