Hitachi Energy Asset Suite Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution (CVE-2024-43044)

Hitachi Energy Asset Suite Affected by Critical RCE Vulnerability

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an advisory (ICSA-26-008-01) warning of a critical vulnerability in Hitachi Energy Asset Suite that could allow remote code execution (RCE). The flaw, tracked as CVE-2024-43044, stems from an unpatched JasperReports component integrated into affected product versions.

Technical Details

• Vulnerability: CVE-2024-43044
• CVSS Score: Not yet disclosed (expected to be high severity)
• Affected Products: Hitachi Energy Asset Suite (specific versions listed in the CSAF advisory)
• Root Cause: Exploitation of a JasperReports vulnerability, enabling unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely.
• Attack Vector: Likely involves crafted input to the reporting engine, though exact exploitation methods remain undisclosed.

Impact Analysis

Successful exploitation of CVE-2024-43044 could grant threat actors full control over vulnerable Hitachi Energy Asset Suite instances. Given the product’s role in operational technology (OT) environments, such as energy sector asset management, this poses significant risks:

• Operational Disruption: Attackers could manipulate or disable critical energy infrastructure systems.
• Data Breaches: Sensitive OT data, including asset configurations and operational logs, may be exfiltrated.
• Lateral Movement: Compromised instances could serve as entry points for deeper network infiltration.

Recommendations

Hitachi Energy has acknowledged the vulnerability and is expected to release patches shortly. In the interim, CISA and Hitachi Energy urge organizations to:

1. Review the CSAF advisory for affected versions and mitigation guidance.
2. Apply Workarounds: If patches are unavailable, implement network segmentation and restrict access to Asset Suite instances.
3. Monitor for Exploitation: Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify suspicious activity targeting JasperReports components.
4. Prepare for Patching: Test and deploy vendor-supplied fixes as soon as they become available.

For full technical details, refer to the original CISA advisory.