CVE-2012-1809 in H0-ECOM
Summary
by MITRE
The web server in the ECOM Ethernet module in Koyo H0-ECOM, H0-ECOM100, H2-ECOM, H2-ECOM-F, H2-ECOM100, H4-ECOM, H4-ECOM-F, and H4-ECOM100 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) via unspecified vectors.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2018
The CVE-2012-1809 vulnerability affects the ECOM Ethernet module in several Koyo industrial automation devices including the H0-ECOM, H0-ECOM100, H2-ECOM, H2-ECOM-F, H2-ECOM100, H4-ECOM, H4-ECOM-F, and H4-ECOM100 models. This vulnerability resides within the web server component of these industrial communication modules, which are commonly deployed in manufacturing environments for data acquisition and control systems. The affected devices operate in critical infrastructure settings where reliable network connectivity and system availability are paramount for industrial operations. These modules typically serve as communication interfaces between industrial control systems and external networks, making them attractive targets for adversaries seeking to disrupt operational continuity.
The technical flaw manifests as a resource consumption vulnerability that enables remote attackers to perform denial of service attacks against the affected web server. While the specific attack vectors remain unspecified in the CVE description, such vulnerabilities typically arise from improper input validation, lack of resource limits, or insufficient handling of concurrent connections. The vulnerability allows attackers to consume system resources such as memory, CPU cycles, or network bandwidth through carefully crafted requests or connection patterns. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks, which can be particularly dangerous in industrial environments where system uptime directly correlates with production efficiency and safety protocols.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-1809 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise industrial control systems. When the web server becomes unresponsive due to resource exhaustion, operators lose access to configuration interfaces and monitoring capabilities, which can hinder troubleshooting and maintenance activities. In critical manufacturing environments, this denial of service can cascade into production delays, quality control issues, and potentially safety concerns if operators cannot access system controls or diagnostic information. The vulnerability represents a significant risk to industrial network security since it affects devices that are often deployed in isolated networks but may still require remote access for configuration and monitoring purposes.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability. Network segmentation should be enforced to limit access to these industrial modules to authorized personnel only, while implementing strict firewall rules to restrict web server access. Regular firmware updates should be applied as patches become available from the vendor, though organizations may need to plan for potential downtime during update procedures. Monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with standards such as NIST SP 800-82 for industrial control systems security and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks and could be classified under CWE-400 for unchecked resource consumption, highlighting the need for proper resource management and input validation in industrial web server implementations. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their industrial control networks to identify similar vulnerabilities in other networked industrial devices that may be at risk.