Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
AdaptiveScale LXDUI through 2.1.3 reportedly used a hardcoded JWT secret. If an attacker can reach the LXDUI service, that weakness could let them obtain administrator-level access to the host system.
Executive priority
Treat this as high priority if LXDUI is present. The reported outcome is host administrator access, but exploitation evidence and complete remediation details are not provided in the source bundle.
Technical view
The CVE describes a hardcoded JWT secret key in metadata.py in AdaptiveScale LXDUI through 2.1.3. The reported impact is administrative access to the host system. Public source data does not provide CVSS, CWE, detailed prerequisites, or confirmed fixed version.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where AdaptiveScale LXDUI through 2.1.3 is deployed, especially if the interface is reachable from untrusted networks or the internet.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. The impact is serious, but public details in the provided sources are limited.
Researcher notes
Key gaps are CVSS, CWE, prerequisites, fixed-version confirmation, and exploit telemetry. Avoid assuming internet-scale exploitation without additional evidence. Focus validation on version exposure, reachable management surfaces, and whether the hardcoded JWT behavior exists in deployed code.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory all LXDUI deployments and identify versions 2.1.3 or earlier.
- Check the project PR and vendor guidance for a corrected build or patch.
- Restrict LXDUI access to trusted administrators and networks while remediation is pending.
- After remediation, invalidate sessions and review administrative activity logs.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether metadata.py contains or previously contained a hardcoded JWT secret.
- Verify deployed LXDUI version against the affected through-2.1.3 range.
- Check whether LXDUI is reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review logs for unexpected administrative actions or session activity.
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.
Credential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-40494 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
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
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 and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/AdaptiveScale/lxdui/pull/353CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
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.