CVE-2023-42419 in Maintenance Server
Summary
by MITRE • 03/05/2024
Maintenance Server, in Cybellum's QCOW air-gapped distribution (China Edition), versions 2.15.5 through 2.27, was compiled with a hard-coded private cryptographic key.
An attacker with administrative privileges & access to the air-gapped server could potentially use this key to run commands on the server. The issue was resolved in version 2.28. Earlier versions, including all Cybellum 1.x versions, and distributions for the rest of the world remain unaffected.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42419 affects Cybellum's QCOW air-gapped distribution specifically in its China Edition version 2.15.5 through 2.27. This represents a critical security flaw where the maintenance server component was compiled with a hard-coded private cryptographic key, violating fundamental principles of cryptographic key management and secure software development practices. The presence of such hard-coded credentials in a security-focused product creates a significant attack surface that undermines the integrity of the entire system.
The technical flaw stems from the improper implementation of cryptographic key management within the software build process, which aligns with CWE-312 - Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information and CWE-321 - Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key. This hard-coded key serves as a backdoor mechanism that allows unauthorized execution of commands on the air-gapped server, effectively bypassing normal authentication and authorization procedures. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within an air-gapped environment, where traditional network-based attacks are mitigated, yet the hard-coded key provides an internal attack vector that completely undermines the security isolation intended by air-gapped systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables full command execution capabilities for attackers who already possess administrative access to the system. This scenario represents a sophisticated attack vector that leverages the trust relationship between the legitimate system components and the hard-coded key, allowing for persistent access and potential lateral movement within the secured environment. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that the vulnerability affects the maintenance server, which typically has elevated privileges and access to critical system functions, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to establish long-term presence within the network.
The remediation implemented in version 2.28 addresses this vulnerability by eliminating the hard-coded cryptographic key and implementing proper key management practices, including the use of secure key generation and storage mechanisms. Organizations using affected versions should immediately upgrade to version 2.28 or later, while also conducting thorough security assessments of their existing systems to identify any potential compromise. The unaffected nature of earlier 1.x versions and global distributions indicates that this specific vulnerability was introduced in a targeted release for the Chinese market, highlighting the importance of proper code review and security testing for localized software variants. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1566 - Phishing for Information, as it represents a sophisticated attack vector that could be exploited through legitimate administrative access to gain deeper system control.