dbcve.org
Foxman UnApplication · Hitachienergy

CVE-2021-40342

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
In the DES implementation, the affected product versions use a default key for encryption. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to obtain sensitive information and gain access to the network elements that are managed by the affected products versions. 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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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

Hitachi Energy's FOXMAN-UN and UNEM products use a default/hardcoded key in their DES encryption implementation. Since DES is a cryptographically weak cipher and the key is fixed/default, attackers can decrypt sensitive data and gain unauthorized access to managed network elements.

MitigationReplace the hardcoded DES key with proper key management (per-user, per-session keys derived securely) and upgrade from DES to a modern cipher (AES-256). Coordinate with vendor for patched versions.

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
Foxman UnApplication
Affected:= r9c= r10c= r11a= r11b= r14a= r14b= r15a= r15b= r16a
UnemApplication
Affected:= r9c= r10c= r11a= r11b= r14a= r14b= r15a= r15b= r16a

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 product and version
    Locate the installed Hitachi Energy FOXMAN-UN or UNEM product and determine its version by checking the system inventory, about dialog, or version file (typically found in the product's installation directory or system information panel). Compare the version string to the affected list: r9c, r10c, r11a, r11b, r14a, r14b, r15a, r15b, r16a.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of the listed affected versions.
  2. Confirm DES encryption is in use
    Review the product's encryption configuration settings, typically found in configuration files (such as XML config files, properties files, or the administration console) or network communication settings. Look for any references to 'DES', 'Data Encryption Standard', or legacy cipher configurations.
    Affected if DES encryption is enabled or configured for any data storage or network communication within the product.
  3. Inspect for hardcoded DES keys
    Examine configuration files, properties files, or embedded code within the product installation for hardcoded key values used with DES. Search for DES key parameters in configuration XMLs, property files, or application configuration panels. Default/hardcoded keys often appear as fixed string values in configuration entries.
    Affected if A hardcoded or default key value is found in the configuration files or product code used for DES encryption operations.

A user is affected if the installed FOXMAN-UN or UNEM version is any of r9c through r16a AND the product uses DES encryption with a hardcoded or default key.

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

Replace the hardcoded DES key with proper key management (per-user, per-session keys derived securely) and upgrade from DES to a modern cipher (AES-256). Coordinate with vendor for patched versions.

Fix this in Foxman Un Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation24.0 h
  • Implementation80.0 h
  • Testing40.0 h
  • Review / QA16.0 h
160.0 hours of engineering $28,080
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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-2021-40342 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data