CRITICAL CVSS 10.0
Published: 2021-04-13

CVE-2021-23281

eaton intelligent_power_manager Security Advisory (CVE-2021-23281)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-23281 impacting eaton intelligent_power_manager. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 10.0 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Eaton Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) prior to 1.69 is vulnerable to unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability. IPM software does not sanitize the date provided via coverterCheckList action in meta_driver_srv.js class. Attackers can send a specially crafted packet to make IPM connect to rouge SNMP server and execute attacker-controlled code.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product eaton / intelligent_power_manager
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-94

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-23281 impacting eaton intelligent_power_manager.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-23281.yaml
id: cve-2021-23281

info:
  name: eaton intelligent_power_manager - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-23281 affecting eaton intelligent_power_manager.
    Evaluation: Eaton Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) prior to 1.69 is vulnerable to unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability. IPM software does not saniti...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-23281
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 10.0
    cve-id: CVE-2021-23281
    cwe-id: CWE-94
  tags: cve,cve-2021-23281,eaton,intelligent_power_manager,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "intelligent_power_manager"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-23281.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-23281
# Target: eaton intelligent_power_manager | CVSS: 10.0 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-23281 (eaton intelligent_power_manager)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against eaton intelligent_power_manager scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-23281.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-23281
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install intelligent_power_manager 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade intelligent_power_manager 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update intelligent_power_manager

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i intelligent_power_manager 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i intelligent_power_manager

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-23281 in eaton intelligent_power_manager?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update eaton intelligent_power_manager packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-23281?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-23281?

CVE-2021-23281 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 10.0 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
10.0
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-23281
Weakness CWE-94
Vendor eaton
Product intelligent_power_manager
Published 2021-04-13
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H