CVE-2026-20791 Overview
CVE-2026-20791 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting the Chargemap platform where charging station authentication identifiers are publicly accessible via web-based mapping platforms. This vulnerability falls under CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials), indicating that sensitive authentication data is exposed without adequate access controls.
The exposure of authentication identifiers through public mapping interfaces presents significant risks to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, potentially enabling unauthorized access to charging stations or impersonation attacks against legitimate users.
Critical Impact
Publicly exposed authentication identifiers for EV charging stations could enable unauthorized charging sessions, billing fraud, or infrastructure manipulation affecting both charging network operators and end users.
Affected Products
- Chargemap chargemap.com (all versions)
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-02-27 - CVE CVE-2026-20791 published to NVD
- 2026-03-05 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-20791
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability represents an insufficiently protected credentials issue within the Chargemap platform. The core problem is that authentication identifiers used by charging stations are being exposed through publicly accessible web-based mapping interfaces. These identifiers, which should be treated as sensitive credentials, are instead being made available to any user who accesses the mapping platform.
The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that remote attackers can harvest authentication identifiers without requiring any authentication or special privileges. The impact includes potential compromise of both confidentiality and integrity of the charging station authentication system.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2026-20791 is the insufficient protection of credential data (CWE-522). The Chargemap platform fails to properly restrict access to charging station authentication identifiers, exposing them through public-facing mapping services. This design flaw allows sensitive authentication data to be viewed by unauthenticated users through the web interface.
Attack Vector
The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no user interaction or authentication. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:
- Accessing the Chargemap web-based mapping platform
- Querying or browsing charging station listings
- Extracting authentication identifiers that are publicly displayed or accessible through the API
- Using harvested identifiers for unauthorized purposes such as billing fraud or impersonation
Since no authentication is required and the attack can be automated, large-scale harvesting of authentication identifiers across the charging network is feasible.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-20791
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual patterns of API requests targeting charging station metadata or authentication endpoints
- Bulk data extraction activities from the mapping platform
- Unauthorized charging sessions appearing on charging station logs
- Anomalous authentication attempts using identifiers associated with different geographic regions
Detection Strategies
- Monitor API access logs for automated scraping behavior or high-volume requests to charging station data endpoints
- Implement rate limiting and anomaly detection on public-facing mapping services
- Track authentication identifier usage patterns to identify potential misuse
- Review web application firewall logs for reconnaissance activity targeting station information
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable comprehensive logging on all charging station authentication events
- Establish baseline patterns for legitimate mapping platform usage
- Configure alerts for geographic anomalies in authentication identifier usage
- Monitor for credential stuffing attempts using known exposed identifiers
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-20791
Immediate Actions Required
- Review and restrict public access to charging station authentication identifiers on the Chargemap platform
- Conduct an audit of exposed credential data and assess potential impact
- Implement additional authentication layers for accessing sensitive station data
- Consider rotating authentication identifiers for affected charging stations
Patch Information
No vendor patch information is currently available. Organizations using the Chargemap platform should monitor the ChargeMap Support Page for updates. Additional technical details are available in the CISA ICS Advisory #ICSA-26-057-05 and the GitHub CSAF Document.
Workarounds
- Implement network segmentation to limit access to charging station management interfaces
- Deploy web application firewalls with rules to detect and block credential harvesting attempts
- Enable multi-factor authentication for charging station administrative access where supported
- Consider temporarily restricting public mapping features until proper access controls are implemented
# Network monitoring example for detecting credential harvesting
# Monitor for high-frequency requests to charging station endpoints
tcpdump -i eth0 'host chargemap.com' -w charging_traffic.pcap
# Review access patterns for anomalous behavior
grep -E "station|auth|identifier" /var/log/nginx/access.log | \
awk '{print $1}' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head -20
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
