CVE-2024-41794: Siemens 7KT PAC1260 Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2024-41794 Overview

CVE-2024-41794 is a hardcoded credentials vulnerability [CWE-798] affecting all versions of the Siemens SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager. The device firmware contains embedded credentials that grant remote access to the underlying operating system with root privileges. An unauthenticated attacker who knows these credentials can fully compromise the device when the SSH service is enabled. SSH access can be triggered by chaining this issue with CVE-2024-41793. The SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager is used in energy monitoring deployments, making the device a high-value target inside operational technology (OT) environments.

Critical Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can obtain root-level operating system access on affected devices using static credentials embedded in firmware.

Affected Products

Siemens SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager (hardware) — all versions
Siemens SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager firmware — all versions
Deployments where the SSH service is reachable (including activation through CVE-2024-41793)

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-08 - CVE-2024-41794 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2025-09-23 - Last updated in the NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-41794

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from credentials baked into the firmware image of the SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager. These credentials authenticate to the device operating system over SSH with root privileges. Because the credentials are identical across all deployed units, any attacker who recovers them from one device gains a master key to every device in the field.

The weakness is classified under [CWE-798] Use of Hard-coded Credentials. The attack does not require any user interaction, prior authentication, or elevated network position. Once an attacker authenticates as root, they can read configuration data, modify metering pipelines, alter firmware, pivot to adjacent OT systems, or disrupt energy monitoring workflows.

Root Cause

The firmware ships with a static credential pair used by the embedded operating system's SSH daemon. Static secrets compiled into firmware cannot be rotated per-device through normal administrative procedures. Recovering them typically requires only firmware extraction and offline analysis of binaries or configuration files.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network reachability to the device's SSH service. By default, the SSH service is not exposed, but CVE-2024-41793 can be used to enable it remotely. After SSH becomes reachable, the attacker authenticates with the hardcoded root credentials and obtains an interactive shell on the device. From this position, the attacker controls the full device runtime.

The vulnerability mechanism is described in the Siemens Security Advisory SSA-187636. No public proof-of-concept exploit has been published at the time of writing.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-41794

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected SSH sessions to TCP port 22 on SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager devices, especially from unmanaged source addresses
Successful root logins recorded on the device when no authorized engineering activity is in progress
Modifications to firmware files, startup scripts, or measurement configuration outside of scheduled maintenance windows
New listener services, scheduled tasks, or outbound connections originating from the data manager

Detection Strategies

Inventory all SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager devices and confirm the state of the SSH service on each unit
Capture network traffic on OT segments and alert on any SSH connection attempt directed at these devices
Correlate device reachability changes with prior exploitation of CVE-2024-41793, which is the typical enablement path
Compare current firmware hashes against known-good baselines provided by Siemens

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward firewall, switch, and OT gateway logs to a centralized analytics platform and build alerts for SSH traffic toward metering devices
Monitor authentication events on the device side where logging is available and treat any root login as a high-severity event
Track configuration drift on the data manager using periodic integrity checks

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-41794

Immediate Actions Required

Block external and lateral network access to the SSH service on all SENTRON 7KT PAC1260 Data Manager devices
Place affected devices behind a firewall in a dedicated OT network segment and restrict ingress to authorized engineering hosts only
Audit historical network logs for SSH connections to the device and investigate any matches as potential compromise
Treat any device with previously enabled SSH as suspect and review it for unauthorized changes

Patch Information

Siemens has documented the issue in Security Advisory SSA-187636. Refer to the advisory for the current remediation status, fixed firmware availability, and product-specific guidance. Because the credentials are embedded in firmware, only a vendor-supplied firmware update can fully remove the hardcoded credentials.

Workarounds

Ensure the SSH service remains disabled and apply mitigations for CVE-2024-41793 to prevent remote enablement
Restrict device management to a dedicated, isolated administrative network
Disconnect the device from any network with internet exposure or untrusted hosts
Follow Siemens operational guidelines for industrial security as referenced in the advisory