Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Meross MSS110 smart plugs before firmware 1.1.24 reportedly shipped with a Telnet service that allowed an undocumented admin account with no password. If reachable, this could let someone gain administrative access to the device. The provided sources do not show active exploitation or a CVSS score.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted IoT remediation issue, not a broad enterprise emergency. Prioritize if MSS110 devices are deployed in offices, labs, stores, or networks near business systems.
Technical view
CVE-2018-6401 describes an undocumented admin account with a blank password exposed through a Telnet listener on Meross MSS110 devices before 1.1.24. The issue is authentication bypass through default hidden credentials. Public data in the bundle does not provide CWEs, scoring, broad affected CPEs, or confirmed exploitation.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Meross MSS110 devices running firmware earlier than 1.1.24, especially where Telnet is reachable from user, guest, IoT, or internet-facing networks.
Exploitation context
The bundle cites a public vulnerability write-up and the CVE record, but KEV is false and no cited source confirms active exploitation. Risk depends heavily on network reachability.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse but clear on the core flaw: Telnet plus undocumented blank-password admin access before firmware 1.1.24. Do not assume other Meross models are affected without separate source evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Identify Meross MSS110 devices and their firmware versions.
- Check Meross guidance and update affected devices to 1.1.24 or later if available.
- Block Telnet access to MSS110 devices from untrusted networks.
- Keep IoT devices segmented from business systems.
- Remove internet exposure for affected smart plugs.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether any Meross MSS110 devices are in use.
- Record firmware versions and flag anything before 1.1.24.
- Verify Telnet is not reachable from untrusted network segments.
- Review firewall and router rules for unintended device exposure.
- Document compensating controls for devices that cannot be updated.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
Credential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-6401 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://garrettmiller.github.io/meross-mss110-vuln/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.