Overview
This blog post discusses a critical vulnerability identified in SICAM TOOLBOX II, a widely used application in the industrial automation sector. The software version affected by this vulnerability is any version earlier than V07.11. This vulnerability is of particular concern due to its potential to allow an attacker to execute an on-path network (MitM) attack, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
This vulnerability exposes potentially thousands of industrial systems to serious cyber threats, emphasizing the importance of immediate action to secure affected systems. With a CVSS Severity Score of 8.1, immediate attention and mitigation are necessary to prevent potential exploitation by malicious actors.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2024-31854
Severity: High (8.1 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
SICAM TOOLBOX II | All versions < V07.11 How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies in the TLS server’s certificate validation process, where the application does not verify the device’s certificate common name against an expected value during the establishment of an HTTPS connection. This lack of validation allows an attacker to exploit this flaw by performing a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack, intercepting the traffic between the client and server, and potentially altering it.
Conceptual Example Code
The following is a conceptual representation of how a potential attack might take place. This is not an actual exploit code, but a simplified illustration of the process an attacker might follow to exploit this vulnerability.
// Attacker intercepts the client request
GET /secure/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Accept: */*
// Attacker forwards the request to the server and receives a response
GET /secure/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: realserver.example.com
Accept: */*
// Attacker alters the response (if desired) and sends it back to the client
GET /secure/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Accept: */*
Content: { "malicious_payload": "..." }In this example, the attacker acts as the middleman in the communication between the client and the server, potentially altering the data sent in either direction. The client, believing they are communicating with the legitimate server, may unknowingly accept malicious data.
Mitigation measures include applying the vendor patch immediately, or using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation technique.