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Hitachi Energy CoreTec EUVDEUVD-2026-110815

| CVE-2026-13162 HIGH
OS Command Injection (CWE-78)
2026-10-27 Hitachi Energy GHSA-qf5f-cpcv-rc7c
7.7
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: Hitachi Energy
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Authenticate with privileged role
  2. Delivery
    Submit crafted time-zone config update
  3. Exploit
    Daemon concatenates input into shell command
  4. Execution
    Injected OS commands execute on device
  5. Impact
    Full control of CoreTec device

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization OS command sanitization, avoid shell exec
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Requires an authenticated session as a user holding one of the specific privileged roles permitted to push time-zone/time-synchronization configuration updates to the CoreTec configuration daemon; the injectable sink is that daemon's time-zone-setting handler. Limiting factors: valid credentials for an eligible role are mandatory (PR:L, not anonymous), exploitation is confined to the affected version ranges (CoreTec 5 3.0.0-5.0.0 and CoreTec 4 3.0.0-3.4.0), and the vendor-assigned AC:H implies some non-trivial condition to trigger - though the description does not state what that condition is, so the exact trigger is not described in the available sources. No end-user UI interaction is required (UI:N).

Impact

This is a CWE-78 OS command injection in Hitachi Energy CoreTec 4 and CoreTec 5 reached through the configuration daemon's time-synchronization handler, which concatenates attacker-supplied time-zone input into a shell command without sanitization. The input CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N) with VC:H/VI:H/VA:H scores 7.7 and reflects a network-reachable but authenticated (PR:L) flaw with full confidentiality/integrity/availability impact on the device. The vendor marked AC:H, yet the description - plain concatenation of user-supplied input with no sanitization or validation - reads like a low-complexity trigger; this AC:H-versus-description tension should be verified with Hitachi Energy, as it materially affects real-world difficulty. Exploitation status: no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and no EPSS or CISA KEV data was supplied, so there is no evidence of active exploitation. The vuln.today decision label is 'this_week', indicating a prompt-but-not-emergency priority: real impact is high (authenticated operator can gain full device control, a serious concern in an OT/substation context), but the authentication requirement and the niche deployment footprint temper mass-exploitation risk. Net: a genuine high-severity issue for operators of these specific products, not a mass-internet threat.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An authenticated user holding one of the privileged roles on a CoreTec 4/5 device submits a time-zone configuration update containing shell metacharacters; the configuration daemon builds its time-setting command by concatenating that input and executes the attacker's injected commands with the daemon's privileges, yielding full control of the device. No public exploit code or PoC reference was provided. The network attack vector means this can be driven from the device's management interface by any actor who already has valid low-privileged credentials for an eligible role.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 28, 2026

Authenticated users holding a privileged role in Hitachi Energy CoreTec 4 (3.0.0-3.4.0) and CoreTec 5 (3.0.0-5.0.0) can reach the configuration daemon's time-zone synchronization handler and inject operating-system commands, gaining full control over the device. The daemon builds a shell command from user-supplied time-zone input without any sanitization or validation (CWE-78), and the impact spans confidentiality, integrity and availability of the appliance itself. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis; exploitation requires valid credentials for an eligible role, and the vendor's high attack-complexity rating indicates an additional, undisclosed precondition.

RemediationAI

No fixed version is listed in the available intelligence, so remediation must be confirmed against the Hitachi Energy advisory at https://publisher.hitachienergy.com/preview?DocumentID=8DBD000258&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch before upgrading. Until a vendor patch is applied, restrict and audit the roles permitted to submit time-zone and time-synchronization configuration to the configuration daemon, limiting that capability to the smallest set of trusted administrators, and keep the daemon's management interface off untrusted networks so only authorized management hosts can reach it - trade-offs being reduced operational convenience and the risk of stale time settings if the eligible role set is tightened too far. Because no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, prioritizing advisory confirmation and credential/role control above emergency network changes is reasonable under the current 'this_week' priority.

Affected VersionsENISA

CoreTec 5 3.0.0 ≤5.0.0
CoreTec 4 3.0.0 ≤3.4.0

Affected Packages

euvd coretec_4 no fix
euvd coretec_5 no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 2 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The flaw is a classic OS command injection (CWE-78) in the configuration daemon of Hitachi Energy CoreTec, the service responsible for applying time-synchronization and time-zone settings. When a time-zone configuration update is submitted, the daemon assembles a shell command string by concatenating the supplied value directly, without escaping or allow-listing, so shell metacharacters in the field are interpreted by the underlying operating system and run with the daemon's privileges. Because that daemon controls device configuration, successful injection yields full control of the appliance. CPE data identifies cpe:2.3:a:hitachi_energy:coretec_5 and cpe:2.3:a:hitachi_energy:coretec_4 as affected. The CVSS v4.0 vector shows AV:N/PR:L/UI:N, i.e. network reachable but requiring a low-privileged authenticated account, while the independently assessed CVSS v3.1 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The vendor's AT:N/AC:H rating in the v4 vector implies a non-trivial trigger condition, but the available sources do not describe what that condition is.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Hitachi Energy) PRIMARY 7.7 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
vuln.today AI 8.8 HIGH

Network-reachable management function needing a valid privileged role (PR:L); unsanitized concatenation implies AC:L despite vendor AC:H; arbitrary command execution yields full device control, so C/I/A High.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Hitachi Energy).

CVSS VectorVendor: Hitachi Energy

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

DescriptionCVE.org

An OS command vulnerability exists in CoreTec product that allows authenticated users with certain roles to execute arbitrary system commands with full control over the device. The vulnerability exists in the configuration daemon's time synchronization handler, which is responsible for setting the system time-zone. When processing time-zone configuration updates, the daemon constructs a shell command by concatenating user-supplied input without any sanitization or validation.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-13162 is a command injection flaw in Hitachi Energy RTU500 series firmware (versions prior to 12.7.1) that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands with high privileges through the IEC 60870-5-104 protocol. The vulnerability has a high CVSS score and affects critical operational technology, meaning exploitation could lead to full device compromise, lateral movement, and disruption of grid control systems. Leadership should prioritize remediation because this flaw threatens the integrity and availability of substation automation and grid control environments. Additionally, no public exploit code or active exploitation has been identified at the time of analysis, but the lack of a patch increases the window of exposure.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch (firmware version 12.7.1) as primary remediation. Until patched, restrict network access to IEC 60870-5-104 ports, enable logging and alerting for unauthorized command attempts, and review device configurations for exposure to untrusted networks.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 92% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
industry-specific Hitachi Energy OT/grid-edge controllers, not broadly deployed enterprise software
Data Quality
3 sources
Confidence: Low

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.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

38
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.

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