Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Hitachi Energy FOXMAN-UN and UNEM versions used for network element management encrypt with a default DES key. That can expose sensitive information and permit unauthorized access to managed network elements. Treat this as high priority where these systems support operational or critical infrastructure environments.
Executive priority
Prioritize this for environments using the affected Hitachi Energy management products, especially operational technology or critical infrastructure. The issue is high severity because it can expose sensitive data and enable access to managed network elements, although active exploitation is not evidenced in the supplied sources.
Technical view
CVE-2021-40342 is a CWE-798 default-key issue in the DES implementation of listed FOXMAN-UN and UNEM releases. CVSS 3.1 is 7.1: local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges or user interaction, changed scope, high confidentiality impact, and no stated integrity or availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Hitachi Energy FOXMAN-UN R9C through R16A listed releases and UNEM R9C through R16A listed releases. The default status is unaffected outside the named versions. Risk is greatest where these products manage sensitive network elements or operational infrastructure.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates local attack vector, but no public exploit details are provided. The documented outcome is sensitive information disclosure and access to network elements managed by affected products.
Researcher notes
The record identifies a default encryption key in DES and maps the issue to CWE-798. The affected product and version list is specific, but remediation details are not included in the provided bundle. Do not infer patches, unsupported versions, or exploitation beyond the cited sources.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory FOXMAN-UN and UNEM deployments and identify exact release versions.
- Review the two Hitachi Energy/ABB advisories for vendor-supported remediation guidance.
- Prioritize remediation for systems managing critical or sensitive network elements.
- Restrict local access to affected management systems while remediation is assessed.
- Avoid assuming compensating controls replace vendor guidance without validation.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether FOXMAN-UN or UNEM is present in asset inventories.
- Compare installed releases against the listed affected R9C through R16A versions.
- Review vendor advisories for affected configurations and remediation status.
- Check whether affected systems manage sensitive network elements.
- Document whether local access paths to management hosts are restricted.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-798: Credential and account abuse lookup
Authentication and credential weaknesses can make valid-account abuse and credential telemetry useful review starting points. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-40342 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N2.54Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.1HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use of Hard-coded Credentials
Use of Hard-coded Credentials represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.