CVE-2024-41794
📋 TL;DR
SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager devices contain hardcoded root credentials that allow unauthenticated remote attackers to gain full system access when SSH is enabled. This affects all versions of the device. Attackers who obtain these credentials can completely compromise affected systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system takeover allowing attackers to manipulate power monitoring data, disrupt operations, install persistent backdoors, or pivot to other network systems.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to device configuration, data manipulation, and potential disruption of power monitoring functions.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if SSH service is disabled and network segmentation prevents access to affected devices.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires knowledge of hardcoded credentials and SSH access to the device.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: None available
Vendor Advisory: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-187636.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Follow vendor recommendations and implement workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable SSH Service
linuxDisable SSH service to prevent remote access using hardcoded credentials
systemctl stop sshd
systemctl disable sshd
Change SSH Port
linuxChange SSH to non-standard port to reduce automated scanning
Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and change Port 22 to another port
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate SENTRON devices from untrusted networks
- Deploy network access controls to restrict SSH access to authorized management stations only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if SSH service is running on port 22 and attempt authentication with known hardcoded credentials (not disclosed here for security reasons)Check Version:
Check device firmware version through web interface or serial consoleVerify Fix Applied:
Verify SSH service is disabled or inaccessible, and test that authentication with hardcoded credentials fails📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed SSH authentication attempts followed by successful login
- Multiple SSH connections from unusual sources
- Root login events from unexpected IP addresses
Network Indicators:
- SSH traffic to SENTRON devices from unauthorized sources
- Brute force attempts on SSH port 22
SIEM Query:
source="ssh" AND (event="Accepted password" OR event="session opened") AND (user="root" OR device_type="SENTRON")