CVE-2021-44544
📋 TL;DR
DIAEnergie versions 1.7.5 and earlier contain a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the 'name' parameter of HandlerEnergyType.ashx. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in users' browsers when viewing affected pages. Organizations using DIAEnergie for industrial energy management are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- DIAEnergie
📦 What is this software?
Diaenergie by Deltaww
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal session cookies, perform actions as authenticated users, redirect to malicious sites, or install malware on user systems.
Likely Case
Session hijacking, credential theft, or defacement of the application interface.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if input validation and output encoding are properly implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
XSS vulnerabilities typically require user interaction (visiting a malicious link) but are straightforward to exploit.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version 1.7.6 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/advisories/icsa-21-238-03
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download DIAEnergie version 1.7.6 or later from the vendor. 2. Backup current installation and data. 3. Install the updated version following vendor documentation. 4. Restart the DIAEnergie service and verify functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allImplement server-side input validation to sanitize the 'name' parameter in HandlerEnergyType.ashx.
Modify HandlerEnergyType.ashx to validate/sanitize input using regex: [a-zA-Z0-9\s_-]+
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
allDeploy a WAF with XSS protection rules to block malicious requests.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate DIAEnergie system on a segmented network with strict access controls.
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution sources.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test by injecting a simple XSS payload like <script>alert('test')</script> into the 'name' parameter of HandlerEnergyType.ashx and check if it executes.Check Version:
Check the DIAEnergie interface or configuration files for version information (typically in web interface footer or about page).Verify Fix Applied:
After patching, repeat the XSS test; the script should be sanitized or blocked. Check the application version.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual or malformed 'name' parameter values in HandlerEnergyType.ashx requests in web server logs.
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to HandlerEnergyType.ashx containing script tags or JavaScript in parameters.
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="*HandlerEnergyType.ashx*" AND (param="*<script>*" OR param="*javascript:*")