CVE-2025-54816 — Missing Authentication on WebSocket Endpoint

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54816
Vulnerability Name: WebSocket Endpoint Missing Authentication
Category: Authentication Bypass / Privilege Escalation
CWE: CWE-306 – Missing Authentication for Critical Function
CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.4 (Critical)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Exploitability: High
Exploit Availability: No public weaponized exploit

Severity Summary

This vulnerability is considered critical because a remotely reachable WebSocket endpoint processes privileged control messages without verifying the identity of the client. As a result, an unauthenticated attacker could gain the same level of control as a legitimate system component. The issue affects systems using WebSocket-based control channels, specifically those implementing OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) for EV charging infrastructure management.

What Went Wrong

The affected system exposes a WebSocket endpoint intended for trusted components such as charging stations or backend controllers. However, no authentication check is enforced during the WebSocket handshake or before processing sensitive messages.

In practical terms:

• The server accepts WebSocket upgrade requests without validating credentials.
• Once connected, the client is treated as trusted.
• Privileged commands are executed based solely on message structure, not identity.

This design flaw allows any party that can reach the endpoint over the network to interact with it as if it were authorized.

How This Could Be Exploited

For educational and defensive understanding, exploitation would typically occur as follows:

1. The WebSocket endpoint is identified (often /ocpp, /ws, or similar paths).
2. A WebSocket connection is initiated from an external or internal network location.
3. Because authentication is not enforced, the connection is accepted.
4. Properly formatted OCPP messages are sent over the socket.
5. The backend processes these messages as legitimate control instructions.

Through this method, actions such as the following could be performed:

• Modification of charger authorization keys
• Remote start or stop of charging sessions
• Spoofing of charger status or telemetry
• Manipulation of billing or session data
• Service disruption or denial of charging availability

No exploit kit is required; only protocol knowledge and network access are needed.

Impact Assessment

• Confidentiality: Sensitive operational and session data may be exposed
• Integrity: Charger configuration, authorization data, and control commands can be altered
• Availability: Charging services can be disrupted or disabled

Because these systems often interact with physical infrastructure, the business and operational impact can be significant.

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

• Tactic: Privilege Escalation
• Tactic: Command and Control
• Technique: T1071.001 – Web Protocols (WebSocket-based communication abuse)

Detection Guidance

Detection should focus on identifying unauthenticated WebSocket activity and unexpected OCPP commands.

Key Indicators to Monitor

• WebSocket upgrade requests to OCPP or management endpoints without authentication headers
• WebSocket connections originating from unexpected IP addresses or regions
• OCPP control messages received before a valid authentication or registration event
• Multiple concurrent sessions using the same charger identifier
• Configuration or authorization changes occurring outside maintenance windows

Log Sources to Collect and Monitor

• Reverse proxy or load balancer logs (WebSocket handshake details)
• Web application firewall (WAF) logs
• OCPP backend application logs
• Network firewall and VPN logs
• Charging station event and audit logs

Detection Logic

• Alert when a WebSocket Upgrade request is observed without an Authorization header
• Alert when OCPP ChangeConfiguration or SetChargingProfile messages are received from a previously unseen source
• Alert on long-lived WebSocket sessions initiated from non-management networks

These detections are intended for defensive monitoring only.

Proof of Concept (Educational)

While no public exploit code has been released, a proof-of-concept could be created in a lab environment by:

• Establishing a WebSocket client
• Connecting to the exposed endpoint
• Sending valid but unauthenticated OCPP messages

Mitigation and Hardening Recommendations

Immediate Actions

• External access to WebSocket management endpoints should be restricted.
• Management interfaces should be placed behind VPNs or private networks.
• TLS-encrypted WebSocket connections (WSS) should be enforced.
• Reverse proxies should reject WebSocket connections lacking authentication.

Long-Term Actions

• Strong authentication (Basic Auth, token-based auth, or mutual TLS) should be enforced at the application level.
• Session validation should be performed before processing any control messages.
• Rate limiting and session uniqueness checks should be implemented.
• Detailed audit logging for all control actions should be enabled.

Official Patch / Upgrade Information

The vulnerability has been addressed through vendor coordination and security advisories. Operators should follow official guidance and apply vendor-provided updates or configuration changes as they become available.

Official advisory and mitigation guidance:
👉 https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-26-022-08

This page contains the official recommendations, mitigation steps, and vendor coordination details. Only vendor-approved patches or configuration changes referenced through this advisory should be applied.

Final Takeaway

This issue highlights the risks of assuming trust on persistent communication channels such as WebSockets. Authentication must be enforced not only at login but at every entry point that performs critical actions. Continuous monitoring, network segmentation, and strict access control remain essential until all affected systems are fully remediated.