Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Credential externalization
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Persistence, Credential Access The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Impact | Despite the absence of a CVSS score or vector in the available data, this vulnerability represents a critical security risk for organizations relying on Time Provider 4100 devices. The use of hard-coded credentials for cryptographic functions is a foundational authentication bypass that allows attackers to impersonate legitimate update sources. The real-world impact depends on network topology and access controls: if Time Provider 4100 devices are exposed to untrusted networks or if attackers gain local access, exploitation is trivial and requires no special technical sophistication. The authentication bypass classification indicates a high technical impact-an attacker can alter the device firmware and behavior without any legitimate authorization. No CVSS vector or EPSS score is provided, and no KEV status or public exploit code is documented in the input data, suggesting this vulnerability may be relatively recent or still under coordinated disclosure. However, the simplicity of the attack (leveraging known hard-coded credentials) and the critical nature of time synchronization infrastructure in financial, telecommunications, and power systems elevates the practical risk substantially. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker on the same network segment as a Microchip Time Provider 4100 device intercepts or performs a manual firmware update operation. Using the hard-coded decryption credentials, the attacker crafts a malicious firmware image, encrypts it with the known credentials, and supplies it to the device update interface. The device accepts the update as legitimate because it successfully decrypts using the hard-coded key, allowing the attacker to install tampered firmware that alters time distribution across the network. This could disrupt timestamp-dependent systems, facilitate certificate validation bypasses, or compromise audit log integrity in downstream systems relying on accurate time from this provider. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 28, 2026
Microchip Time Provider 4100 contains hard-coded credentials used for software update decryption, allowing malicious actors to craft and deploy unauthorized firmware updates without detection. Versions prior to 2.5.0 are affected. An attacker with local or network access to the device can leverage these credentials to bypass authentication controls during the manual software update process, potentially gaining full control of the time synchronization infrastructure.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade Microchip Time Provider 4100 to version 2.5.0 or later. This patched version removes or rotates the hard-coded credentials and implements dynamic credential management for the firmware update mechanism. Organizations unable to upgrade immediately should restrict network access to Time Provider 4100 devices via firewall rules, limiting update traffic to authenticated administrative networks only, and monitor for unauthorized firmware update attempts. Consult the Microchip security advisory for detailed upgrade procedures and any interim security measures.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
This vulnerability exploits the use of hard-coded credentials (CWE-798) embedded in the Microchip Time Provider 4100 firmware or update mechanism. The Time Provider 4100 is a network time protocol (NTP) appliance responsible for distributing precise time across enterprise networks. The device implements firmware update functionality that uses cryptographic decryption to verify update authenticity and integrity. However, the decryption keys or passwords are statically embedded in the product, rendering the authentication mechanism ineffective against any attacker with knowledge of these credentials. This eliminates the intended security boundary between authorized and unauthorized updates, converting a security-critical control into a false sense of protection.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:L/SC:L/SI:H/SA:L/E:P
Primary rating from Vendor (Microchip) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: Microchip
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability in Microchip Time Provider 4100 allows Malicious Manual Software Update.This issue affects Time Provider 4100: before 2.5.0.
Executive ViewAI
Organizations using Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability in Microchip Time Provider 4100 should be aware of moderate risk from CVE-2025-9497, a hard-coded credentials vulnerability rated CVSS 5.5. Exploitation could allow attackers to execute code or inject malicious input. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and monitor for exploitation.
Apply vendor patch. If patching is delayed: restrict network access, enable MFA, monitor auth logs.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
EUVD-2025-209112
GHSA-gv5m-4fg8-r764
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB