CVE-2021-40341 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE record involves a vulnerability related to weak DES encryption in Hitachi Energy's FOXMAN-UN and UNEM products. The issue allows for easy decryption of sensitive information, impacting several versions of the affected products.

Understanding CVE-2021-40341

This section provides insights into the nature and impact of the vulnerability.

What is CVE-2021-40341?

The DES cipher with inadequate encryption strength is utilized in Hitachi Energy FOXMAN-UN to encrypt user credentials needed to access Network Elements. Successful exploitation could lead to effortless decryption of sensitive data. The affected versions include FOXMAN-UN R16A, R15B, R15A, R14B, R14A, R11B, R11A, R10C, R9C, and UNEM R16A, R15B, R15A, R14B, R14A, R11B, R11A, R10C, R9C.

The Impact of CVE-2021-40341

The vulnerability, associated with CAPEC-20 Encryption Brute Forcing, poses a high confidentiality impact with a CVSSv3.1 base score of 7.1 (High).

Technical Details of CVE-2021-40341

Explore the specifics and technical aspects related to this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The Weak DES encryption issue stems from the use of an encryption cipher with inadequate strength in Hitachi Energy FOXMAN-UN products.

Affected Systems and Versions

Several versions of FOXMAN-UN and UNEM products, including R16A, R15B, R15A, R14B, R14A, R11B, R11A, R10C, R9C, are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by decrypting sensitive information due to the use of a weak DES cipher.

Mitigation and Prevention

Learn about the steps to mitigate and prevent the vulnerabilities.

Immediate Steps to Take

For FOXMAN-UN R16A or UNEM R16A, partial remediation is in effect, with full remediation planned in the future release.
Recommendations include securing NMS CLIENT/SERVER communication and avoiding FOXCST with RADIUS authentication.

Long-Term Security Practices

Ensure timely patching of affected products.

Patching and Updates

Monitor and apply security patches and updates regularly to address vulnerabilities effectively.