CVE-2026-44611 Overview
CVE-2026-44611 affects the Danelec MacGregor Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), a maritime black-box system used to record bridge audio, navigation data, and sensor telemetry on commercial vessels. The vulnerability stems from a weak password storage mechanism [CWE-916] that truncates password length and uses a hash function susceptible to brute force attacks. An attacker with adjacent network access and low privileges can recover credentials and gain unauthorized access to recorded voyage data or device configuration interfaces. The flaw was disclosed through a CISA Industrial Control Systems advisory tracked as ICSA-26-148-01.
Critical Impact
Authenticated adjacent-network attackers can brute-force credentials due to weak password hashing, compromising the confidentiality of voyage data recorded on affected maritime VDR systems.
Affected Products
- Danelec MacGregor Voyage Data Recorder (VDR)
- Maritime navigation and recording systems integrating the affected VDR firmware
- Operational technology (OT) shipboard networks hosting the affected devices
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-05-29 - CVE-2026-44611 published to NVD
- 2026-06-01 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-44611
Vulnerability Analysis
The Danelec MacGregor VDR stores user passwords using a hashing method that imposes a maximum password length and produces digests with insufficient computational hardness. Password length truncation reduces the effective keyspace because characters beyond the truncation boundary do not contribute to the resulting hash. An attacker who obtains the password store can iterate candidate passwords offline against the truncated hash space at high speed.
The vulnerability falls under [CWE-916], Use of Password Hash With Insufficient Computational Effort. Modern guidance recommends adaptive functions such as bcrypt, scrypt, Argon2id, or PBKDF2 with sufficient iteration counts. The affected implementation does not meet these requirements, which is why brute-force recovery is viable even for moderately complex passwords.
Root Cause
The root cause is the selection of a password hashing primitive without adequate work factor combined with input truncation. Truncation eliminates entropy contributed by longer passphrases, and the underlying hash function lacks the iteration cost needed to slow attacker guessing. Together these design choices reduce credential storage strength below the level expected for an industrial control device exposed to shipboard networks.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires adjacent network access, meaning the attacker must be on the same logical network segment as the VDR. This often includes shipboard LANs, bridge equipment networks, or service ports accessible during maintenance. The attacker must already hold low-privilege credentials or access to the credential store. Once a password hash is retrieved, brute-force recovery is performed offline using standard tools such as hashcat or john. No exploit code or proof-of-concept is publicly available at this time. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-44611
Indicators of Compromise
- Repeated failed authentication attempts originating from adjacent network hosts targeting VDR management interfaces.
- Unexpected successful logins to VDR accounts outside normal crew or maintenance windows.
- Unauthorized retrieval or export of voyage data recordings or configuration files.
- Network scans probing VDR service ports from shipboard workstations or service laptops.
Detection Strategies
- Audit VDR authentication logs for high-frequency login attempts indicative of credential guessing.
- Inspect network traffic on bridge and OT segments for unusual access to the VDR from non-administrative hosts.
- Correlate physical access events with VDR login activity to identify out-of-band credential use.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose authentication logging on the VDR and forward logs to a centralized SIEM for retention.
- Establish baselines for normal VDR access patterns and alert on deviations.
- Monitor for connections to the VDR from devices not on an approved maintenance allowlist.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-44611
Immediate Actions Required
- Contact Danelec through the official Danelec Contact Page to obtain remediation guidance and firmware updates.
- Restrict network access to the VDR to a dedicated, segmented OT subnet with strict access control lists.
- Rotate all VDR account credentials and enforce the maximum password length and complexity supported by the device.
- Disable or rate-limit remote authentication interfaces where supported by the product.
Patch Information
No public patch reference is available in the NVD entry. Operators should consult the CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-26-148-01 and the GitHub CSAF Resource for vendor remediation status and contact Danelec directly for firmware availability.
Workarounds
- Place the VDR behind a firewall that permits access only from authorized engineering workstations.
- Require multi-factor or out-of-band authentication for personnel administering the VDR where supported.
- Physically secure service ports and disable unused network interfaces on the device.
- Monitor shipboard OT networks for unauthorized devices that could reach the VDR over the adjacent network.
# Example: restrict VDR access to a single management host using iptables on an upstream gateway
iptables -A FORWARD -s 10.10.20.5/32 -d 10.10.99.10/32 -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD -d 10.10.99.10/32 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
