CVE-2021-40341 in UNEM R16A
Summary
by MITRE • 01/06/2023
DES cipher, which has inadequate encryption strength, is used Hitachi Energy FOXMAN-UN to encrypt user credentials used to access the Network Elements. Successful exploitation allows sensitive information to be decrypted easily. This issue affects * FOXMAN-UN product: FOXMAN-UN R16A, FOXMAN-UN R15B, FOXMAN-UN R15A, FOXMAN-UN R14B, FOXMAN-UN R14A, FOXMAN-UN R11B, FOXMAN-UN R11A, FOXMAN-UN R10C, FOXMAN-UN R9C; * UNEM product: UNEM R16A, UNEM R15B, UNEM R15A, UNEM R14B, UNEM R14A, UNEM R11B, UNEM R11A, UNEM R10C, UNEM R9C. List of CPEs: * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R16A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R15B:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R15A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R14B:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R14A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R11B:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R11A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R10C:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:foxman-un:R9C:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R16A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R15B:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R15A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R14B:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R14A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R11B:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R11A:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R10C:*:*:*:*:*:*:* * cpe:2.3:a:hitachienergy:unem:R9C:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-40341 represents a critical cryptographic weakness in Hitachi Energy's FOXMAN-UN and UNEM network elements, where the DES cipher algorithm is employed for encrypting user credentials. This cryptographic flaw stems from the inherent weaknesses of the Data Encryption Standard, which was designed in the 1970s and has since been deemed insufficient for modern security requirements due to its 56-bit key length. The vulnerability affects multiple firmware versions across both product lines, indicating a widespread issue that impacts the security posture of numerous network elements deployed in industrial environments. The use of DES encryption in this context directly violates contemporary security standards and best practices, as the algorithm is vulnerable to brute force attacks and has been demonstrated to be easily compromised by modern computational resources. This weakness creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to network elements and potentially escalate their privileges within the industrial control systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the cryptographic implementation within the Hitachi Energy products, where user credentials are stored using the DES algorithm rather than more robust modern encryption standards such as AES-256. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain administrative access to network elements, potentially leading to disruption of critical infrastructure operations, unauthorized configuration changes, or even physical system compromise. The affected products operate in industrial environments where network security is paramount, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could enable attackers to target critical infrastructure assets. The weakness is not limited to a single version but spans across multiple firmware releases, suggesting that the cryptographic implementation was flawed at the design level rather than being a temporary bug that could be easily patched. This widespread impact across versions indicates that the vulnerability is likely rooted in fundamental design decisions rather than isolated implementation errors, making it a systemic security concern that affects the entire product family.
Organizations utilizing these Hitachi Energy products face significant operational risks from this vulnerability, as it directly undermines the confidentiality and integrity of authentication mechanisms within industrial control systems. The exploitation of this weakness could enable attackers to perform credential stuffing attacks, gain persistent access to network elements, or conduct reconnaissance activities to map network topologies and identify additional vulnerable targets. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and persistence phases, where adversaries seek to obtain and maintain access to systems through compromised credentials. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms, and CWE-310, which covers cryptographic weaknesses in general. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including firmware updates from Hitachi Energy, network segmentation to limit access to affected devices, and enhanced monitoring of authentication attempts. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their industrial control systems to identify any other instances of weak cryptographic implementations and ensure that all network elements are updated to use modern encryption standards that meet current security requirements. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date cryptographic implementations in industrial environments where security is critical for operational continuity and safety.