Hitachi Energy APM Edge (Update A)

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• CVSS v3 8.2
• ATTENTION: Low attack complexity
• Vendor: Hitachi Energy
• Equipment: Transformer Asset Performance Management (APM) Edge
• Vulnerability: Reliance on Uncontrolled Component

2. UPDATE OR REPOSTED INFORMATION

This updated advisory is a follow-up to the original advisory titled “ICSA-21-336-06 Hitachi Energy APM Edge” that was published December 02, 2021, on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics.

3. RISK EVALUATION

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause the product to become inaccessible.

4. TECHNICAL DETAILS

4.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

Hitachi Energy reports this vulnerability affects the following APM product versions:

• APM Edge Version 1.0
• APM Edge Version 2.0
• APM Edge Version 3.0

4.2 VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

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4.2.1    RELIANCE ON UNCONTROLLED COMPONENT CWE-1357

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Hitachi Energy is aware of public reports of this vulnerability in the following open-source software components: OpenSSL, LibSSL, libxml2 and GRUB2 bootloader. The vulnerability also affects some APM Edge products. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could cause the product to become inaccessible.

 

CVE-2021-3449, CVE-2020-1971, CVE-2019-1563, CVE-2019-1549, CVE-2019-1547, CVE-2021-23840, CVE-2021-23841, CVE-2017-8872, CVE-2019-20388, CVE-2020-24977, CVE-2021-3516, CVE-2021-3517, CVE-2021-3518, CVE-2021-3537, CVE-2021-3541, CVE-2020-10713, CVE-2020-14308, CVE-2020-14309, CVE-2020-14310, CVE-2020-14311, CVE-2020-15705, CVE-2020-15706, CVE-2020-15707, CVE-2020-14372, CVE-2020-25632, CVE-2020-27749, CVE-2020-27779, CVE-2021-20225, and CVE-2021-20233 have been assigned to the vulnerability in these components.

A CVSS v3 base score of 8.2 has been calculated for the worst case; the CVSS vector string is (AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).

4.3 BACKGROUND

• CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Energy
• COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
• COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Switzerland

4.4 RESEARCHER

Hitachi Energy reported to CISA that Transformer APM Edge contains open-source components with these known vulnerabilities.

5. MITIGATIONS

Hitachi Energy recommends users update to Transformer APM Edge v4.0. This version updates the software components to remediate this vulnerability.

Hitachi Energy recommends the following security practices and firewall configurations to help protect process control networks from attacks that originate from outside the network:

• Physically protect process control systems from direct access by unauthorized personnel. 
• Do not directly connect to the Internet.
• Separated from other networks by means of a firewall system that has a minimal number of ports exposed.
• Process control systems should not be used for Internet surfing, instant messaging, or receiving e-mails.
• Portable computers and removable storage media should be carefully scanned for viruses before they are connected to a control system.

Please see Hitachi Energy advisory 8DBD000057 for additional mitigation and update information.

CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.



CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on us-cert.cisa.gov. Several recommended practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage on us-cert.cisa.gov in the Technical Information Paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.



Organizations observing any suspected malicious activity should follow their established internal procedures and report their findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.

No known public exploits specifically target this vulnerability. This vulnerability is not exploitable remotely.