CVE-2021-37162 – A buffer overflow vulnerability in Swisslog Hea... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2021-37162?

CVE-2021-37162 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). A buffer overflow vulnerability in Swisslog Healthcare Nexus Panel's HMI3 Control Panel allows remote code execution via malformed UDP messages. This affects Swisslog Healthcare Nexus Panel systems running software versions before Nexus Software 7.2.5.7. Attackers can exploit this to gain control of medical device control panels.

📋 TL;DR

A buffer overflow vulnerability in Swisslog Healthcare Nexus Panel's HMI3 Control Panel allows remote code execution via malformed UDP messages. This affects Swisslog Healthcare Nexus Panel systems running software versions before Nexus Software 7.2.5.7. Attackers can exploit this to gain control of medical device control panels.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Swisslog Healthcare Nexus Panel
Swisslog TransLogic Pneumatic Tube System Control Panels

Versions: All versions before Nexus Software 7.2.5.7

Operating Systems: Embedded/Linux-based HMI3 Control Panel

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Vulnerability is in the HMI3 Control Panel component that manages Swisslog's pneumatic tube systems in healthcare facilities.

📦 What is this software?

Hmi 3 Control Panel Firmware by Swisslog Healthcare

View all CVEs affecting Hmi 3 Control Panel Firmware →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, potential manipulation of medical device operations, and lateral movement within hospital networks.

🟠

Likely Case

System compromise allowing attackers to disrupt medical device operations, steal sensitive healthcare data, or deploy ransomware.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if systems are isolated, monitored, and have proper network segmentation preventing UDP access.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH if UDP port 4070 is exposed to internet, as exploit requires no authentication.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH due to unauthenticated UDP-based attack vector that can be exploited from any network segment with access to the vulnerable system.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploit is part of the 'PwnedPiper' vulnerability chain with publicly available technical details and proof-of-concept code.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Nexus Software 7.2.5.7 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://www.swisslog-healthcare.com/en-us/customer-care/security-information/cve-disclosures

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Contact Swisslog Healthcare for patch files. 2. Apply Nexus Software update 7.2.5.7 or later. 3. Restart the Nexus Panel system. 4. Verify patch installation through version check.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Segmentation

all

Block UDP port 4070 at network perimeter and segment Nexus Panel systems from general network traffic.

iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 4070 -j DROP
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block Nexus UDP" dir=in action=block protocol=UDP localport=4070

Access Control Lists

linux

Restrict UDP port 4070 access to only authorized management systems using firewall rules.

iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 4070 -s [TRUSTED_IP] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 4070 -j DROP

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate Nexus Panel systems on dedicated VLAN with strict firewall rules blocking all unnecessary traffic.
Implement network monitoring and intrusion detection for UDP port 4070 traffic anomalies.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Nexus Panel software version via system interface or contact Swisslog Healthcare support.

Check Version:

Version check typically requires accessing the Nexus Panel administrative interface; no universal CLI command available.

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm software version is 7.2.5.7 or higher through system administration interface.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected system crashes or reboots
Unusual process creation on Nexus Panel
Failed authentication attempts on adjacent systems

Network Indicators:

Malformed UDP packets to port 4070
Unusual outbound connections from Nexus Panel
Traffic spikes on UDP port 4070

SIEM Query:

source_port=4070 AND (packet_size>normal OR malformed_packet=true) OR dest_ip=[NEXUS_PANEL_IP] AND dest_port=4070 AND protocol=UDP

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2021-37162

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

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

CWE: CWE-120

Published: August 2, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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