How We Hacked Thousands of Data Centers in Minutes Using a 20-Year

Reddit •/u/Pale_Fly_2673 • July 28, 2026

TL;DR: We identified 36,872 internet-exposed BMCs, and 24,650 of them disclosed password-derived authentication hashes before login because of CVE-2013-4786. More than 30% of the returned hashes were linked to passwords that could be recovered using common wordlists or predictable factory password formats. The exposure affected modern Supermicro and HPE servers, including systems operated by GPU providers. The bigger risk is that a compromised BMC gives an attacker highly privileged access below the operating system. Because BMC management networks are often poorly segmented and lightly monitored, one exposed interface can become a foothold into broader data center infrastructure. We also created an interactive map where you can explore the exposed systems: submitted by /u/Pale_Fly_2673 [link] [ ]

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This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Over 24,000 Servers Expose Password Hashes via BMC Vulnerability A significant vulnerability in Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs) has been identified, exposing over 24,000 servers to the internet. This exposure is due to CVE-2013-4786, a flaw in the IPMI 2.0 authentication protocol, allowing attackers to retrieve password hashes before login. Researchers from Lava found that 36,872 BMC interfaces were publicly accessible, with 24,650 leaking authentication hashes that could be cracked offline. Many of these servers, particularly from Supermicro and HPE, are still using weak or default passwords, making them easy targets. The compromised BMCs can provide attackers with extensive control over the servers, enabling them to execute malicious actions beneath the visibility of traditional security measures. The issue is exacerbated in environments with poor segmentation, potentially affecting multiple tenants simultaneously. Immediate action is recommended to secure these vulnerable systems. 9 sources 74

Extracted Entities

How We Hacked Thousands of Data Centers in Minutes Using a 20-Year

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Extracted Entities

Attack Types (1)

CVEs (1)

MITRE ATT&CK (2)