dbcve.org
MetsysApplication · Johnsoncontrols

CVE-2014-5427

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-03-29
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Johnson Controls Metasys 4.1 through 6.5, as used in Application and Data Server (ADS), Extended Application and Data Server (aka ADX), LonWorks Control Server 85 LCS8520, Network Automation Engine (NAE) 55xx-x, Network Integration Engine (NIE) 5xxx-x, and NxE8500, allows remote attackers to read password hashes via a POST request.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Johnson Controls Metasys versions 4.1 through 6.5 contain an information disclosure vulnerability where remote attackers can read password hashes via a crafted POST request to the web interface. This affects multiple system types including ADS, ADX, LCS8520, NAE, NIE, and NxE8500 building automation controllers.

MitigationRestrict network access to Metasys web interfaces to trusted IPs only, and upgrade to a patched version if available from Johnson Controls. If upgrading is not possible, implement additional authentication layers and monitor for unauthorized access attempts.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
MetsysApplication
Affected:= 4.1= 6.5

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Metasys installation
    Check if Johnson Controls Metasys building automation software is installed on the system. Look for Metasys directories in common installation paths such as C:\Program Files\Johnson Controls\Metasys or C:\Metasys. On Linux/Unix systems, check /opt/jci/metasys or /usr/local/metasys. Use system inventory tools or check installed programs list.
    Affected if Metasys software is not found on the system - not affected
  2. Determine Metasys version
    Locate the Metasys version information. Check the About or System Information section in the Metasys Client UI, or look for version files in the installation directory (typically a version.txt, about.txt, or in registry keys on Windows). The version is displayed in the login screen or system properties.
    Affected if Version is within the range 4.1 to 6.5 inclusive - potentially affected
  3. Verify web interface is enabled
    Check if the Metasys web interface (Web Server component) is enabled and running. Look for IIS or embedded web server configurations in the Metasys installation directory. Verify the Metasys IIS website or embedded web service is in a running state.
    Affected if Web interface is enabled and accessible - vulnerable attack surface exists
  4. Confirm network accessibility of web port
    Determine if the Metasys web interface port (default HTTP port 80/8080 or HTTPS port 443/8443) is accessible from network locations. Use netstat or firewall rules to check if the web service port is listening on external interfaces or is exposed to untrusted networks.
    Affected if Web interface port is open to untrusted networks - vulnerability is remotely exploitable
  5. Check for password hash disclosure endpoint
    Review web server logs and configurations for evidence of the vulnerable POST endpoint. The vulnerability allows reading password hashes via crafted POST requests to the web interface. Examine IIS logs or Metasys application logs for unusual POST requests to authentication endpoints.
    Affected if Unusual POST requests to web interface are found in logs - potential exploitation detected

A system is affected if it runs Metasys versions 4.1 through 6.5 with the web interface enabled and accessible, allowing remote attackers to retrieve password hashes via crafted POST requests.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Restrict network access to Metasys web interfaces to trusted IPs only, and upgrade to a patched version if available from Johnson Controls. If upgrading is not possible, implement additional authentication layers and monitor for unauthorized access attempts.

Fix this in Metsys Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,980
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-5427 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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