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Simatic Cn 4100 FirmwareOperating system · Siemens

CVE-2024-32741

CRITICAL · 10.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.0 or later.
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
A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC CN 4100 (All versions < V3.0). The affected device contains hard coded password which is used for the privileged system user `root` and for the boot loader `GRUB` by default . An attacker who manages to crack the password hash gains root access to the device.

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

SIMATIC CN 4100 devices contain a hardcoded default password hash used for both the privileged root user and the GRUB bootloader. An attacker who obtains and cracks this password hash can gain full root access to the device, compromising the entire system.

MitigationUpdate all affected devices to firmware V3.0 or later which removes the hardcoded credentials, and immediately change the default root and GRUB passwords on any deployed devices as an interim measure.

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
Simatic Cn 4100 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 3.0

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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. Check the installed firmware version
    Access the device web interface or use Siemens management tools (e.g., TIA Portal, Web Navigator) to retrieve the firmware version. Alternatively, check via command line using 'plctool' or the device's diagnostic interface if available.
    Affected if The firmware version is lower than 3.0 (e.g., 2.x.x or any version < 3.0)
  2. Verify if default root password is still in use
    Attempt to access the device via SSH or serial console using the default root credentials. The hardcoded hash corresponds to a default password that should have been changed. If login succeeds with factory-default credentials, the device is vulnerable.
    Affected if Default root password has not been changed from the factory default
  3. Verify if default GRUB bootloader password is in use
    Reboot the device and access the GRUB bootloader menu. Attempt to enter boot parameters or recovery mode. If the default GRUB password (derived from the hardcoded hash) is accepted, the device is vulnerable.
    Affected if Default GRUB password has not been changed from the factory default
  4. Check for password hash files on device filesystem
    If you have filesystem access (e.g., via firmware extraction or debugging interface), inspect /etc/shadow or equivalent password hash files for the root account. Look for the specific hardcoded hash value associated with this CVE.
    Affected if The hardcoded password hash is present in /etc/shadow or similar credential storage files

The device is affected if it runs firmware version earlier than 3.0, or if the default root or GRUB passwords have not been changed from the factory defaults.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.0 or later
Fixed in 3.0
Interim mitigation

Update all affected devices to firmware V3.0 or later which removes the hardcoded credentials, and immediately change the default root and GRUB passwords on any deployed devices as an interim measure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Firmware V3.0

  1. Obtain the V3.0 firmware update for SIMATIC CN 4100 from the official Siemens support portal (cert-portal.siemens.com or siemens.com/productsupport)
  2. Review the firmware upgrade instructions in the SIMATIC CN 4100 operating manual
  3. Upload and apply the V3.0 firmware to the device using the method specified in the documentation (typically via web-based management, TIA Portal, or SD card)
  4. After upgrade, verify the firmware version is V3.0 or higher
  5. Change the default root password immediately after upgrade to a strong, unique password
  6. If GRUB password was using the hardcoded default, reconfigure GRUB with a new secure password
Caveat Review release notes for any configuration or compatibility changes between prior version and V3.0

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Simatic Cn 4100 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,400
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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-2024-32741 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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