CVE-2011-3143 in ClearSCADA
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Control Microsystems ClearSCADA 2005, 2007, and 2009 before R2.3 and R1.4, as used in SCX before 67 R4.5 and 68 R3.9, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via unspecified long strings that trigger heap memory corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3143 represents a critical use-after-free condition affecting Control Microsystems ClearSCADA software versions 2005, 2007, and 2009 before specific patch releases, alongside SCX versions before 67 R4.5 and 68 R3.9. This flaw manifests within industrial control systems where memory management errors can have severe operational consequences, particularly in environments requiring high availability and reliability. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of heap memory allocation and deallocation processes, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the system through carefully crafted inputs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a classic use-after-free scenario where memory that has been freed is subsequently accessed or reused without proper validation. When the ClearSCADA application processes long strings that exceed expected parameter limits, the underlying memory management routines fail to properly validate the state of allocated memory blocks. This condition creates a situation where freed memory locations may be reallocated for new operations while still containing references to previously accessed data, leading to unpredictable behavior. The vulnerability specifically targets heap memory corruption, which is classified under CWE-416 as "Use After Free" and represents a fundamental memory safety issue that has been documented in numerous industrial control system security assessments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable remote code execution, making it particularly dangerous in industrial environments where control systems are increasingly connected to corporate networks. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause system crashes that disrupt critical operations, potentially leading to production downtime, safety hazards, or even physical damage to industrial processes. The remote exploit capability means that adversaries do not require physical access to the systems, significantly expanding the attack surface and threat vector. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 "Exploitation for Client Execution" and represents a common vector for attackers targeting industrial control systems where network segmentation may be insufficient.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3143 require immediate patching of affected ClearSCADA versions, with organizations implementing comprehensive vulnerability management programs to identify and remediate similar issues across their industrial control system infrastructure. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate critical control systems from general corporate networks, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and memory management best practices in industrial software development, emphasizing the need for security testing throughout the software development lifecycle. Organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically tuned to detect exploitation patterns associated with heap-based memory corruption vulnerabilities, as these attacks often exhibit characteristic network traffic patterns that can be monitored and mitigated through proper security controls.