PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-34542 Advantech CVE debrief

CVE-2024-34542 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Advantech ADAM-5630 industrial communication devices. The issue involves transmission of user credentials in plaintext between the device and the user's source device during the login process, exposing authentication data to network eavesdropping. CISA published this advisory on September 26, 2024 as ICSA-24-270-02. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 5.7 (MEDIUM) with an attack vector of adjacent network, requiring low attack complexity and no privileges, though user interaction is required. The confidentiality impact is rated HIGH while integrity and availability impacts are NONE. Advantech has released firmware version 2.5.2 to address this vulnerability. Organizations operating ADAM-5630 devices in industrial control environments should prioritize upgrading affected systems, as plaintext credential exposure in OT networks can facilitate lateral movement and unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components. Network segmentation and encrypted management channels should be implemented where possible to mitigate exposure until patching is completed.

Vendor: Advantech
Product: ADAM-5630
CVSS: MEDIUM 5.7
CISA KEV: Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published: 2024-09-26
Original CVE updated: 2024-09-26
Advisory published: 2024-09-26
Advisory updated: 2024-09-26

Who should care

Organizations operating Advantech ADAM-5630 industrial communication gateways in manufacturing, energy, water/wastewater, and other critical infrastructure sectors. Security teams responsible for OT/ICS network security, industrial network engineers, and compliance officers managing NERC CIP or IEC 62443 requirements should prioritize this remediation.

Technical summary

The Advantech ADAM-5630 transmits user credentials without encryption during the authentication process, allowing adjacent network attackers to capture valid credentials through passive eavesdropping. The vulnerability exists in firmware versions prior to 2.5.2. Successful credential interception could enable unauthorized device access and potential manipulation of industrial processes managed by the affected gateway. The attack requires adjacent network access and user interaction (a legitimate user authenticating), with no privileges required. The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.7 reflects high confidentiality impact with no direct integrity or availability impact, though credential compromise may lead to secondary attacks.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

Upgrade Advantech ADAM-5630 devices to firmware version 2.5.2 or later to eliminate plaintext credential transmission
Implement network segmentation to isolate ADAM-5630 devices from untrusted networks and limit eavesdropping opportunities
Deploy encrypted management channels (VPN, SSH tunneling) for administrative access to affected devices until patching is complete
Monitor network traffic for unauthorized access attempts to ADAM-5630 management interfaces
Review and rotate credentials for affected devices if compromise is suspected
Apply CISA ICS recommended practices for defense-in-depth in industrial control environments

Evidence notes

CISA advisory ICSA-24-270-02 published 2024-09-26 identifies plaintext credential transmission during login for Advantech ADAM-5630 devices. CVSS 3.1 vector AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N yields score 5.7. Remediation requires upgrade to firmware version 2.5.2 per vendor recommendation.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

CVE-2024-34542 CVE Program record
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-34542

CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.
CVE-2024-34542 NVD vulnerability detail
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-34542

NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Source item URL
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2024/icsa-24-270-02.json

cisa_csaf
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-270-02

Reference
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/alerts/ICS-ALERT-10-301-01

Reference
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/ics-recommended-practices

Reference
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Cybersecurity_Best_Practices_for_Industrial_Control_Systems.pdf

Reference
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/industrial-control-systems

Reference
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/sites/default/files/publications/emailscams0905.pdf

Reference
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/tips/ST04-014

Reference

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.