CVE intelligence and bounded remediation
CVE-2023-43742 — Zultys Mx-Se Firmware security vulnerability
An authentication bypass in Zultys MX-SE, MX-SE II, MX-E, MX-Virtual, MX250, and MX30 with firmware versions prior to 17.0.10 patch 17161 and 16.04 patch 16109 allows an unauthenticated attacker to obtain an administrative session via a protection mechanism failure in the authentication function. In normal operation, the Zultys MX Administrator Windows client connects to port 7505 and attempts authentication, submitting the administrator username and password to the server. Upon authentication failure, the server sends a login failure message prompting the client to disconnect. However, if the client ignores the failure message instead and attempts to continue, the server does not forcibly close the connection and processes all subsequent requests from the client as if authentication had been successful.
- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Published
- 2023-12-08
- CISA KEV
- Not currently listed
- Ecosystem
- operating-system
- Weaknesses
- CWE-287
Affected products
- zultys / mx-se_firmware
- zultys / mx-se_ii_firmware
- zultys / mx-e_firmware
- zultys / mx-virtual_firmware
- zultys / mx250_firmware
- zultys / mx30_firmware
Showing 6 representative product identities from 12 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.
Matched remediation archetype
Authentication bypass and missing authentication
This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.
Check exposure
- Map every affected endpoint and protocol path, including alternate ports, legacy routes, recovery flows, service accounts, and machine-to-machine access.
- Confirm which deployments enable the affected authentication mode and whether the interface is reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review session, token, credential, and proxy trust configuration without attempting account takeover.
Remediate safely
- Apply the supported fix and centralize fail-closed authentication before protected request handling.
- Remove default or embedded credentials, rotate affected secrets and sessions, and bind authentication decisions to the intended audience and channel.
- Add negative tests for alternate routes, malformed or absent credentials, recovery flows, and proxy-derived identity.
Authoritative sources
Complete CVE record and remediation plan
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