Hitachi Energy Gateway Station (GWS) Product
Plan Patch8.1ICS-CERT ICSA-22-242-02Aug 30, 2022
Attack VectorNetwork
Auth RequiredNone
ComplexityHigh
User InteractionNone needed
Summary
Hitachi Energy Gateway Station (GWS) versions 2.0.0.0 through 3.1.0.0 contain cryptographic or protocol weaknesses (CWE-1357) that allow remote attackers to intercept traffic between the gateway and connected systems without authentication. Successful exploitation enables eavesdropping on sensitive network traffic, unauthorized access to information flowing through the gateway, and denial-of-service conditions that could disrupt operational communications. The vulnerabilities are remotely exploitable with low attack complexity and no known public exploits at present.
What this means
What could happen
An attacker could intercept and read sensitive traffic between systems connected to the GWS, potentially extracting control commands or sensitive data, and could cause the gateway to become unavailable, disrupting communication between operational networks and field devices.
Who's at risk
Energy utilities and transportation systems operators who rely on Hitachi Energy Gateway Station (GWS) for SCADA communication and control system integration. Any installation of GWS versions 2.0.0.0 through 3.1.0.0 is affected. This is critical for operators of substations, distribution control centers, and other grid infrastructure that depend on the GWS for reliable gateway communication.
How it could be exploited
An attacker with network access to the GWS can exploit a cryptographic or protocol weakness to intercept encrypted traffic between the gateway and connected systems. The low attack complexity means the attacker does not need specialized knowledge or tools, and no user interaction is required. Once traffic is intercepted, the attacker can eavesdrop on commands or data flowing through the gateway or inject malicious data to cause a denial of service.
Prerequisites
- Network-level access to GWS (direct routing or VLAN access)
- GWS deployed in an affected version (2.0.0.0 through 3.1.0.0)
- No special credentials or authentication required
Remotely exploitableNo authentication requiredLow attack complexityNo fix available for all currently deployed versionsAffects energy and transportation critical infrastructureHigh CVSS score (8.1)
Exploitability
Moderate exploit probability (EPSS 1.3%)
Affected products (7)
7 pending
ProductAffected VersionsFix Status
GWS: 3.1.0.03.1.0.0No fix yet
GWS: 2.0.0.0 and earlier≤ 2.0.0.0No fix yet
GWS: 2.2.0.02.2.0.0No fix yet
GWS: 2.3.0.02.3.0.0No fix yet
GWS: 2.1.0.02.1.0.0No fix yet
GWS: 3.0.0.03.0.0.0No fix yet
GWS: 2.4.0.02.4.0.0No fix yet
Remediation & Mitigation
0/5
Do now
0/3HARDENINGImplement network segmentation: isolate the GWS and its connected field devices on a separate network segment, allowing only necessary communication ports through a firewall
HARDENINGRestrict network access to GWS to only authorized engineering workstations and control systems; block all internet-facing connections to the gateway
WORKAROUNDAvoid using GWS systems for internet access, email, or file transfers that could introduce malware
Schedule — requires maintenance window
0/1Patching may require device reboot — plan for process interruption
HOTFIXUpgrade to GWS 3.2.0.0 or later when released and available from Hitachi Energy
Long-term hardening
0/1HARDENINGMonitor GWS traffic for unexpected connections or eavesdropping attempts using network intrusion detection
CVEs (1)
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