CVE-2024-55026: Weintek Easyweb RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-55026 Overview

CVE-2024-55026 is a critical command injection vulnerability affecting Weintek cMT-3072XH2 Human-Machine Interface (HMI) devices running easyweb v2.1.53 with OS version 20231011. The vulnerability exists in the reset_pj.cgi endpoint, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in GET request parameters. This allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the web server process.

Industrial control system (ICS) and operational technology (OT) environments are particularly at risk, as HMI devices like the Weintek cMT-3072XH2 are commonly deployed to monitor and control critical industrial processes.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can execute arbitrary system commands on affected Weintek HMI devices, potentially compromising industrial control systems and operational technology environments.

Affected Products

• Weintek cMT-3072XH2 Hardware
• Weintek cMT-3072XH2 Firmware version 20231011
• Weintek easyweb version 2.1.53

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-03 - CVE-2024-55026 published to NVD
• 2026-03-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-55026

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the reset_pj.cgi CGI script, which is part of the web-based management interface on Weintek cMT-3072XH2 HMI devices. The CGI endpoint processes GET request parameters without adequate input validation or sanitization, enabling command injection attacks.

When a crafted GET request is sent to the vulnerable endpoint, malicious shell commands embedded within the request parameters are passed directly to the underlying operating system shell for execution. This occurs because the CGI script concatenates user input into system commands without proper escaping or filtering of shell metacharacters.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-256 (Plaintext Storage of a Password), though the primary attack mechanism is command injection. The network-accessible nature of the vulnerability means attackers require no prior authentication or user interaction to exploit it.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation in the reset_pj.cgi endpoint. The CGI script directly incorporates user-controllable input from GET request parameters into shell commands without sanitizing special characters (such as ;, |, &, $, backticks, etc.) that have special meaning to the command interpreter.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring only HTTP access to the device's web interface. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted GET request to the reset_pj.cgi endpoint. The malicious payload is embedded within URL parameters and processed by the vulnerable CGI script.

The vulnerability mechanism involves injecting shell commands through unsanitized GET parameters sent to the reset_pj.cgi endpoint. When the CGI script processes these parameters, it concatenates the malicious input directly into a system call, allowing the injected commands to execute in the context of the web server. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the security documentation on Notion or the code example on GitHub Gist.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-55026

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP GET requests to /reset_pj.cgi containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, $, or backticks
• Unexpected outbound network connections originating from HMI devices
• Anomalous process spawning on the Weintek device, particularly shell processes or network utilities
• Log entries showing access to reset_pj.cgi with abnormally long or encoded URL parameters

Detection Strategies

• Implement network intrusion detection rules to identify HTTP requests to reset_pj.cgi containing command injection patterns
• Monitor web server access logs on Weintek devices for suspicious requests targeting CGI endpoints
• Deploy application-layer firewall rules to block requests with shell metacharacters in URL parameters
• Use endpoint detection solutions to identify unusual process execution chains on HMI devices

Monitoring Recommendations

• Segment HMI devices on isolated network zones with strict ingress and egress filtering
• Enable comprehensive logging on the Weintek device web interface and forward logs to a centralized SIEM
• Establish baseline network behavior for HMI devices and alert on deviations
• Conduct periodic vulnerability assessments of industrial control system components

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-55026

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Weintek cMT-3072XH2 web interface to trusted management hosts only
• Place affected HMI devices behind a firewall that blocks untrusted access to the web management interface
• Disable the web interface if not required for operations
• Monitor for exploitation attempts while awaiting vendor patches

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2026-03-04, no official patch information has been published by Weintek. Organizations should monitor Weintek's official security advisories and support channels for firmware updates that address this vulnerability. Apply any security updates as soon as they become available.

Workarounds

• Implement network segmentation to isolate HMI devices from untrusted networks
• Use a web application firewall (WAF) to filter malicious requests targeting the reset_pj.cgi endpoint
• Restrict access to the web management interface using IP whitelisting at the firewall level
• Disable the web interface entirely if remote management is not required for operational purposes

# Example firewall rule to restrict access to HMI web interface
# Allow only trusted management subnet to access web interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 10.0.100.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.100.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP