CVE-2025-55292VulnerabilityPublished 27 Jan 2026

CVE-2025-55292: meshtastic firmware · Use of Less Trusted Source

Affects meshtastic firmwareSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.2 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

8.2High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 3% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 27 Jan 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
meshtasticfirmware	Affected <=2.6.2	Fixed in–
GitHubmeshtastic/firmware`pkg:github/meshtastic/firmware`Other threats	Affected <=2.6.2	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately upgrade Meshtastic firmware to version 2.7.6.834c3c5 or later, where this vulnerability is patched. Network administrators should audit their mesh networks to identify devices running vulnerable firmware versions and prioritize their update. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling HAM mode if it is not strictly necessary, or implement additional network-level encryption and authentication controls to compensate for the firmware's weaknesses. Monitoring mesh network traffic for anomalous NodeInfo messages or unexpected changes in NodeDB entries can help detect attempted exploitation. Where possible, integrating hardware-based security modules or leveraging VPN tunnels over mesh networks can add layers of protection. Finally, educating users about the risks of using insecure modes and encouraging best practices in device configuration will reduce exposure.

Description

Meshtastic is an open source mesh networking solution. In the current Meshtastic architecture, a Node is identified by their NodeID, generated from the MAC address, rather than their public key. This aspect downgrades the security, specifically by abusing the HAM mode which doesn't use encryption. An attacker can, as such, forge a NodeInfo on behalf of a victim node advertising that the HAM mode is enabled. This, in turn, will allow the other nodes on the mesh to accept the new information and overwriting the NodeDB. The other nodes will then only be able to send direct messages to the victim by using the shared channel key instead of the PKC. Additionally, because HAM mode by design doesn't provide any confidentiality or authentication of information, the attacker could potentially also be able to change the Node details, like the full name, short code, etc. To keep the attack persistent, it is enough to regularly resend the forged NodeInfo, in particular right after the victim sends their own. A patch is available in version 2.7.6.834c3c5.

Impact

For European organizations utilizing Meshtastic mesh networking devices—potentially in remote communications, emergency services, or IoT deployments—this vulnerability poses significant risks. The ability to downgrade security to an unencrypted, unauthenticated mode allows attackers to intercept sensitive communications, manipulate node identities, and disrupt network trust relationships. Confidentiality is severely impacted as attackers can eavesdrop on direct messages intended for victim nodes. Integrity is also compromised since attackers can alter node metadata, potentially causing confusion or misrouting of messages. Although availability is not directly affected, persistent exploitation could degrade network reliability and trust. Given the open-source nature and niche use of Meshtastic, the impact is likely concentrated in specialized sectors such as outdoor expedition teams, NGOs, or local emergency response units in Europe. However, any organization relying on this technology for secure communication could face operational disruptions and data exposure.

Summary

Meshtastic is an open-source mesh networking solution that enables communication between nodes identified by NodeIDs generated from MAC addresses rather than cryptographic public keys. This architectural choice introduces a security weakness classified under CWE-348: Use of Less Trusted Source. Specifically, the vulnerability arises because the HAM mode in Meshtastic firmware does not employ encryption or authentication. An attacker can exploit this by forging a NodeInfo message that falsely claims the victim node is operating in HAM mode. When other nodes receive this forged message, they accept it and overwrite their NodeDB entries, causing them to send direct messages to the victim node using the shared channel key instead of the more secure public key cryptography (PKC). This downgrade compromises confidentiality and integrity, as attackers can intercept or manipulate communications. Furthermore, attackers can modify node metadata such as full names and short codes, potentially misleading users or disrupting network operations. Persistence is achieved by periodically resending the forged NodeInfo, especially after the victim node transmits its legitimate information. The vulnerability affects Meshtastic firmware versions up to 2.6.2 and has been assigned CVE-2025-55292 with a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.2 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N), indicating high severity. No known exploits are currently in the wild. A patch fixing this issue is included in version 2.7.6.834c3c5.

CWE-348Use of Less Trusted Source (opens in a new tab)
Base weakness
The product has two different sources of the same data or information, but it uses the source that has less support for verification, is less trusted, or is less resistant to attack.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
REST Security (opens in a new tab)
JSON Web Token for Java (opens in a new tab)
REST Assessment (opens in a new tab)
Cross-Site Request Forgery Prevention (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.2 (opens in a new tab)
V3.5.3 (opens in a new tab)
V13.2.6 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Cache Poisoning (opens in a new tab)
DNS Cache Poisoning (opens in a new tab)
User-Controlled Filename (opens in a new tab)
Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls (opens in a new tab)
AJAX Footprinting (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 28 Jan 2026, 15:35 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-348

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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