CVE-2021-22278

Untrusted package installation via common-name pattern bypass

Published Oct 28, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Improper certificate validation in PCM600 Update Manager 2.4.20119.2 and earlier allows local users to install untrusted packages. The certificate check accepts a package when its certificate chains to a trusted root and its common name merely contains an allowed pattern, rather than authenticating an officially issued package. Exploitation requires changing the update-server location, crafting and signing a package, and administrator-assisted installation on the workstation.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper certificate validation in PCM600 Update Manager 2.4.20119.2 and earlier allows local users to install untrusted packages. The certificate check accepts a package when its certificate chains to a trusted root and its common name merely contains an allowed pattern, rather than authenticating an officially issued package. Exploitation requires changing the update-server location, crafting and signing a package, and administrator-assisted installation on the workstation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-22278
Published
Oct 28, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
Hitachi Energy
Product
PCM600 Update Manager
Classifications
CWE-295, T1553.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 28, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.1
  2. Affected versionversion=2.1.0.4
  3. Affected versionversion=2.2
  4. Affected versionversion=2.2.0.1
  5. Affected versionversion=2.2.0.2
  6. Affected versionversion=2.2.0.23
  7. Affected versionversion=2.3.0.60
  8. Affected versionversion=2.4.20041.1
  9. Affected versionversion=2.4.20119.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Hitachi Energy · PCM600 Update Managerversion=2.1; version=2.1.0.4; version=2.2; version=2.2.0.1; version=2.2.0.2; version=2.2.0.23; version=2.3.0.60; version=2.4.20041.1; version=2.4.20119.2
ABB · PCM600version=2.7 <unspecified; version=unspecified <=2.10
Hitachi Energy · PCM600version=2.7 <unspecified; version=unspecified <=2.10
ABB · PCM600 Update Managerversion=2.1; version=2.1.0.4; version=2.2; version=2.2.0.1; version=2.2.0.2; version=2.2.0.23; version=2.3.0.60; version=2.4.20041.1; version=2.4.20119.2

Published CVSS scores

4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
6.7Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. (ABB)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-295Improper Certificate Validation
T1553.002Subvert Trust Controls: Code Signing

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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