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HighVulnerabilityCVE-2026-13162updated 29 Oct 2026, 14:59 UTC

Hitachi Energy CoreTec5 and CoreTec4: command injection flaw lets users run system commands

A logged-in user with certain roles can type special input into a time-zone setting and make the device run commands of their choosing. That can give them full control of the device.

Fix availableOfficial, 2 sources
SeverityHighCVSS 7.7 of 10
Being exploited?UnclearNo reports either way yet
Fix available?YesUpdate to CoreTec5 version 5.0.0; upgrade CoreTec4 to CoreTec5 version 5.0.0 · since 29 Oct 2026
How sure is this?Official, 2 sourcesBacked by an official source

How the attack works simplified

  1. 1Logged-in userHolds a role allowing time-zone changes
  2. 2Time-zone inputCrafted value sent to configuration daemon
  3. 3Shell command builtInput concatenated without any validation
  4. 4Commands executedArbitrary system commands run on device
  5. ResultAttacker gains full control of the device

What happened

An OS command injection flaw in the configuration daemon's time synchronization handler lets authenticated users with certain roles execute arbitrary system commands, because time-zone input is concatenated into a shell command without sanitization (CWE-78). A separate Dirty Frag issue (CVE-2026-43284) in the Linux kernel's IPsec ESP subsystem is also reported for CoreTec5, allowing local privilege escalation to root.

Why it is dangerous: An attacker with a valid low-privilege account could gain full control over the device, affecting confidentiality, integrity and availability. CoreTec is deployed worldwide in the energy sector, so critical infrastructure operators are at risk.

Are you affected?

You are affected if you run CoreTec5 version 3.4.0 or earlier, or CoreTec4 version 3.4.0 or earlier, and have users with roles that can change time-zone settings.

CoreTec5 versions 3.4.0 and prior; CoreTec4 versions 3.4.0 and prior

What to do

  1. Update CoreTec5 to version 5.0.0, or upgrade CoreTec4 installations to CoreTec5 version 5.0.0
  2. Apply the general mitigation factors described by the vendor until the update is installed
  3. Review which user roles can change time-zone settings and restrict them to trusted staff
  4. Check the vendor's Recommended Immediate Actions for guidance on the related Dirty Frag issue

Timeline

  1. 27 Oct 2026, 12:17 UTC
    Publicly disclosed
  2. 27 Oct 2026, 12:17 UTC
    Reported by NVD · NVD
  3. 27 Oct 2026, 12:18 UTC
    Picked up by Zero Radar
  4. 29 Oct 2026, 14:59 UTC
    CISA reported on it · CISA

Sources 2 reports, oldest first

Official vendor, government CERT or advisory database

Technical details

ID
CVE-2026-13162
CVSS
7.7 / 10
EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation within 30 days
Disclosed
27 Oct 2026, 12:17 UTC
On Zero Radar
27 Oct 2026, 12:18 UTC (1 min after disclosure)
Last change
29 Oct 2026, 14:59 UTC

The plain-language parts and the attack diagram were written by an AI model (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5) from the sources above. Facts like versions, exploitation and dates come from the sources themselves. How Zero Radar works

Hitachi Energy CoreTec5 and CoreTec4: command injection flaw lets users run system commands · Zero Radar