CVE-2026-1221VulnerabilityPublished 20 Jan 2026

CVE-2026-1221: BROWAN COMMUNICATIONS PrismX MX100 AP controller · Use of Hard-coded Credentials

Affects BROWAN COMMUNICATIONS PrismX MX100 AP controllerSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.3 Critical : upgrade to 1.03.23.01 as a priority.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 07:57 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

9.3Critical

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

EPSS: 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 43% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 1.03.23.01

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: High
Vulnerable system integrity: High
Vulnerable system availability: High
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, 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: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files of the vulnerable system to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: High: There is a total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all information within the Vulnerable System being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact. For example, an attacker steals the administrator's password, or private encryption keys of a web server.
Vulnerable system integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the vulnerable system. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system availability: High: There is a total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the Vulnerable System; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the Vulnerable System (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 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

Upgrade BROWAN COMMUNICATIONS PrismX MX100 AP controller to 1.03.23.01.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
BROWAN COMMUNICATIONSPrismX MX100 AP controller	Affected <1.03.23.01	Fixed in 1.03.23.01

AI-suggested

1. Immediate network segmentation: Isolate PrismX MX100 AP controllers from untrusted networks and restrict access to management interfaces to trusted administrators only. 2. Implement strict firewall rules to block unauthorized inbound traffic targeting the AP controller’s management and database ports. 3. Monitor network traffic for unusual access patterns or attempts to connect to the device’s database service. 4. Employ intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to detect exploitation attempts related to hard-coded credential usage. 5. Engage with BROWAN COMMUNICATIONS for firmware updates or patches; if unavailable, request vendor guidance or consider device replacement. 6. Use multi-factor authentication and strong access controls on network segments hosting these devices to reduce lateral movement risk. 7. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments focusing on wireless infrastructure components. 8. Maintain up-to-date asset inventories to quickly identify and respond to affected devices. 9. Educate network administrators about the risks of hard-coded credentials and the importance of securing wireless management systems. 10. Consider deploying compensating controls such as VPN tunnels or encrypted management channels to protect communications with the AP controller.

Description

CVE-2026-1221 is a critical vulnerability in the BROWAN COMMUNICATIONS PrismX MX100 AP controller caused by the use of hard-coded database credentials embedded in the firmware. This flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to log into the device's database without any user interaction or privileges, potentially leading to full compromise of the device. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.3, reflecting its high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation and critical severity make it a significant threat. European organizations using PrismX MX100 controllers in their network infrastructure could face risks including data breaches, unauthorized network access, and disruption of wireless services. Mitigation requires immediate firmware updates from the vendor or, if unavailable, network segmentation and strict access controls to isolate vulnerable devices. Countries with higher adoption of BROWAN COMMUNICATIONS products and critical infrastructure relying on wireless AP controllers are at greater risk. Given the critical nature and remote unauthenticated access, this vulnerability demands urgent attention from defenders.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2026-1221 can be severe. Compromise of the PrismX MX100 AP controller could lead to unauthorized access to wireless network management, enabling attackers to intercept sensitive communications or disrupt wireless connectivity. This could affect enterprises, public institutions, and critical infrastructure sectors relying on secure and stable wireless networks. Confidentiality breaches could expose sensitive corporate or personal data, while integrity violations might allow attackers to alter network configurations or inject malicious payloads. Availability impacts could result in denial of wireless services, affecting business operations and user productivity. The vulnerability’s remote and unauthenticated exploitability increases the risk of widespread attacks, especially in environments where these devices are accessible from less secure network segments or exposed to the internet. Additionally, the lack of available patches complicates remediation efforts, potentially prolonging exposure. European organizations with regulatory obligations around data protection (e.g., GDPR) could face compliance risks if breaches occur due to this vulnerability.

Summary

CVE-2026-1221 identifies a critical security vulnerability in the PrismX MX100 AP controller developed by BROWAN COMMUNICATIONS. The root cause is the presence of hard-coded credentials within the device firmware, specifically for the database login. These credentials are embedded in the firmware and cannot be changed by the user, allowing any remote attacker to authenticate to the database without prior authorization or user interaction. This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), a well-known weakness that often leads to unauthorized access and control over affected systems. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates the attack can be performed remotely over the network (AV:N) with no required privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and no scope change (S:U). The impact metrics are high for confidentiality, integrity, and availability, meaning an attacker could exfiltrate sensitive data, modify configurations, or disrupt device operations. The affected product, PrismX MX100, is an AP controller used to manage wireless access points, making it a critical component in enterprise and industrial network environments. No patches or firmware updates are currently available, and no exploits have been observed in the wild, but the vulnerability’s nature makes it highly exploitable. Attackers gaining database access could manipulate wireless network configurations, intercept or redirect traffic, or pivot to other internal systems, posing significant risks to network security and operational continuity.

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.
Architecture and Design
For outbound authentication: store passwords, keys, and other credentials outside of the code in a strongly-protected, encrypted configuration file or database that is protected from access by all outsiders, including other local users on the same system. Properly protect the key (CWE-320).
Architecture and Design
For inbound authentication: Rather than hard-code a default username and password, key, or other authentication credentials for first time logins, utilize a "first login" mode that requires the user to enter a unique strong password or key.
Architecture and Design
If the product must contain hard-coded credentials or they cannot be removed, perform access control checks and limit which entities can access the feature that requires the hard-coded credentials. For example, a feature might only be enabled through the system console instead of through a network connection.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Key Management (opens in a new tab)
REST Security (opens in a new tab)
JSON Web Token for Java (opens in a new tab)
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.10.4 (opens in a new tab)
V6.4.1 (opens in a new tab)
V3.5.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Read Sensitive Constants Within an Executable (opens in a new tab)
Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 27 Jan 2026, 20:22 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-798

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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