Acclaim USAHERDS Hard-coded Credentials Vulnerability (CVE-2021-44207) Security Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTAcclaim Systems USAHERDS through version 7.4.0.1
Attackers can exploit hard-coded credentials to bypass authentication and achieve remote code execution (RCE)
Immediately upgrade to the patched version and restrict external network access to the application
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Follow the official vendor instructions to apply the security patch. Below is an example of stopping the IIS application pool and deploying the patched binaries.
# Stop IIS Application Pool and Website
Stop-WebAppPool -Name 'USAHERDSAppPool'
Stop-Website -Name 'USAHERDS'
# Backup old vulnerable DLL and copy the patched version
Rename-Item -Path 'C:\inetpub\wwwroot\USAHERDS\bin\USAHERDS.dll' -NewName 'USAHERDS.dll.bak'
Copy-Item -Path 'C:\PathToPatchedFiles\USAHERDS.dll' -Destination 'C:\inetpub\wwwroot\USAHERDS\bin\'
# Restart IIS Services
Start-WebAppPool -Name 'USAHERDSAppPool'
Start-Website -Name 'USAHERDS'2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If patching cannot be applied immediately, regenerate the static MachineKey in the web.config file to prevent ViewState deserialization attacks.
<!-- Replace static hard-coded machineKey with auto-generated unique keys in web.config -->
<configuration>
<system.web>
<machineKey validationKey='AutoGenerate,IsolateApps' decryptionKey='AutoGenerate,IsolateApps' validation='SHA1' decryption='AES' />
</system.web>
</configuration>3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Use the following PowerShell script to inspect IIS logs for potential exploitation attempts or cryptographic errors related to ViewState.
# Search IIS logs for ViewState deserialization errors or suspicious POST requests
$LogPath = 'C:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles\W3SVC1\*'
Select-String -Path $LogPath -Pattern 'CryptographicException' -SimpleMatch | Select-Object -First 10
Select-String -Path $LogPath -Pattern 'error' -SimpleMatch | Select-Object -First 10Block Exploits Instantly with Managed Virtual Patching Rules
Can't patch production immediately? Deploy managed WAF rules at the edge to intercept RCE, SQLi, and deserialization payloads before they hit your origin server.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2021-44207) exists in Acclaim Systems USAHERDS, a state-level livestock health monitoring application. The root cause is the presence of hard-coded credentials and cryptographic keys (CWE-798) within the application's source code or configuration files.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker can reverse-engineer the USAHERDS application binaries to extract the hard-coded credentials or static MachineKey values. Using these compromised keys, the attacker can craft and sign malicious .NET ViewState payloads. When sent to the target server, the application deserializes the payload under the assumption that it is trusted, leading to unauthenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE).
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and is listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Successful exploitation allows complete compromise of the hosting server, potentially exposing sensitive agricultural data and serving as an entry point for lateral movement within the organization's internal network.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Acclaim USAHERDS through 7.4.0.1 uses hard-coded credentials.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2021-44207)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2021-44207 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2021-44207 is rated CVSS 8.1 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 17.6%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2021-44207?
Primary impacted vendors include acclaimsystems across usaherds. Scope summary: Acclaim Systems USAHERDS versions 7.4.0.1 and prior
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2021-44207 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately upgrade to the patched version and restrict external network access to the application Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
Generate an Internal Engineering Notice or CISO Report for CVE-2021-44207
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