CVE-2023-24501
📋 TL;DR
Electra Central AC units contain hardcoded credentials in unspecified code, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to the system. This affects all users of vulnerable Electra Central AC units, potentially enabling remote control of HVAC systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- Electra Central AC unit
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system takeover allowing attackers to manipulate HVAC operations, cause physical damage, or use the device as an entry point to internal networks.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to HVAC controls leading to temperature manipulation, system disruption, or data exfiltration from connected networks.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if device is isolated from internet and internal networks with strict access controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Hardcoded credentials are trivial to exploit once discovered. Attackers only need to find the credentials through reverse engineering or information disclosure.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/faq/cve_advisories
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Contact Electra vendor for firmware updates
2. Apply firmware patch if available
3. Restart AC unit
4. Change all default credentials
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Isolation
allIsolate AC unit from internet and restrict internal network access
Configure firewall rules to block all inbound/outbound traffic to AC unit IP
Access Control Lists
allImplement strict network access controls
iptables -A INPUT -s [AC_IP] -j DROP
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block AC" dir=in action=block remoteip=[AC_IP]
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment HVAC network from critical business networks
- Implement network monitoring and alerting for unauthorized access attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check firmware version against vendor advisory. Attempt authentication with known/default credentials.Check Version:
Check device web interface or contact vendor for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version is updated and test that default credentials no longer work.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed login attempts followed by successful login
- Authentication from unexpected IP addresses
- Configuration changes from unauthorized users
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to/from AC unit
- Authentication attempts using default credentials
- Unexpected protocol usage
SIEM Query:
source="ac_unit" AND (event_type="authentication" AND result="success") AND user="default"