CVE-2011-3491 in Movicon Powerhmi
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in Progea Movicon / PowerHMI 11.2.1085 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a negative Content-Length field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3491 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw affecting Progea Movicon and PowerHMI versions 11.2.1085 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within industrial automation and SCADA systems that are widely deployed in critical infrastructure environments including energy, water treatment, and manufacturing facilities. The flaw manifests when the software processes HTTP requests containing a negative Content-Length field, which creates a scenario where the application attempts to allocate memory based on a negative value, leading to unpredictable behavior in the heap memory management system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTTP headers in network communications to the affected systems. When a remote attacker sends a crafted HTTP request with a negative Content-Length value, the application's parsing logic fails to properly validate this input before using it to determine heap allocation size. This improper validation creates a condition where the heap allocator receives a negative integer as the allocation parameter, causing memory corruption that can result in application crashes or potentially allow for arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in industrial control systems where system stability and continuous operation are paramount, as a successful exploit could lead to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it represents a potential gateway for more sophisticated attacks within industrial environments. The vulnerability affects systems that are often not regularly updated due to operational constraints and the critical nature of industrial processes, making it particularly attractive to threat actors targeting critical infrastructure. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause cascading failures in industrial control systems, potentially leading to production halts, safety system compromises, or even physical damage to equipment. The attack surface is broad as these systems are often exposed to external networks for remote monitoring and control purposes, increasing the likelihood of exploitation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected systems from external threats, deployment of intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP header patterns, and implementation of input validation controls at network boundaries. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-122, heap-based buffer overflow, and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under initial access and execution phases. System administrators should prioritize updating to patched versions of Progea Movicon and PowerHMI, while also implementing network monitoring to detect malformed Content-Length headers. Additionally, organizations should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected industrial control systems and establish robust patch management procedures specifically designed for operational technology environments. The long-term solution requires comprehensive security awareness training for industrial control system operators and implementation of defense-in-depth strategies that include both network security controls and application-level protections.