Remotely Rooting Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Huajiang Chen and Wu Ming present remote root exploits (CVE-2021-22707, CVE-2021-22708) in Schneider Electric commercial EV charging stations.
Summary
The Expanding Threat Surface of EV Charging Infrastructure
As electric vehicles proliferate globally, connected Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) charging stations represent critical, internet-connected electrical grid infrastructure.
Security Audit of Schneider Electric EV Charging Stations
Huajiang Chen and Wu Ming dissect Schneider Electric commercial EV chargers, auditing embedded firmware, Linux operating systems, and management interfaces.
Chaining 3 Zero-Days for Unauthenticated Remote Root
The researchers uncover multiple vulnerabilities—including hardcoded credentials, unauthenticated web administration portals, and command injection via OCPP protocols.
Impact on the Power Grid and Charging Security Standards
The authors demonstrate how compromised chargers could be weaponized into botnets to disrupt regional power grids, concluding with vendor remediation patches.
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