CVE-2005-4326 in PowerChute Network Shutdown
Summary
by MITRE
The web interface for American Power Conversion (APC) PowerChute Network Shutdown performs all communication in cleartext (base64-encoded), which allows remote attackers to sniff authentication credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4326 affects the American Power Conversion APC PowerChute Network Shutdown web interface, representing a critical security flaw in network infrastructure management software. This issue stems from the application's failure to implement encrypted communication channels for authentication processes, creating a significant exposure in environments where network monitoring is possible. The vulnerability specifically impacts the web-based management interface used to control power distribution units and ensure proper shutdown procedures during power failures or maintenance operations.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's communication protocol design where all authentication credentials are transmitted using base64 encoding without additional encryption measures. This cleartext transmission method violates fundamental security principles and creates an attack surface that allows remote adversaries to capture network traffic and extract authentication information through simple packet sniffing techniques. The base64 encoding, while providing minimal obfuscation, does not constitute cryptographic protection and can be easily reversed by attackers with basic network analysis tools. This weakness directly maps to CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-319 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) categories, highlighting the fundamental failure to protect authentication credentials during network transmission.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it compromises the integrity of power management systems that are critical for enterprise infrastructure protection. Attackers who successfully capture these credentials can gain unauthorized access to power distribution equipment, potentially leading to service disruption, unauthorized power control, or even physical damage to network infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on APC PowerChute for automated shutdown procedures during power failures, as compromised credentials could allow attackers to manipulate power states and cause cascading failures in critical systems. This threat vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) and T1566 (Phishing) when considering how attackers might leverage compromised credentials for broader network infiltration.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate power management interfaces from general network traffic, deployment of network monitoring tools to detect unusual authentication patterns, and implementation of secure communication protocols where possible. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure communication design in industrial control systems and highlights the need for proper encryption implementation in all network interfaces, particularly those handling authentication credentials. Security teams should also consider implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication and regular credential rotation to reduce the impact of potential credential compromise. The incident underscores the critical need for security by design principles in network infrastructure management tools, as specified in NIST SP 800-30 risk assessment guidelines and ISO/IEC 27001 information security management standards.