CVE-2012-2559 in KingHistorian
Summary
by MITRE
WellinTech KingHistorian 3.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (invalid pointer write) via a crafted packet to TCP port 5678.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2559 affects WellinTech KingHistorian 3.0, a historical data collection and storage system commonly used in industrial control systems and process automation environments. This particular flaw represents a critical security weakness that can be exploited remotely by attackers without requiring authentication credentials. The vulnerability manifests through improper input validation mechanisms within the application's network protocol handling, specifically targeting TCP port 5678 which serves as the primary communication endpoint for the historian system. The affected system processes incoming network packets without adequate sanitization, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject crafted payloads that can trigger unintended system behavior.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves an invalid pointer write condition that occurs when the application receives malformed network data on the designated port. This type of flaw falls under the category of memory corruption vulnerabilities, specifically aligning with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions. When a remote attacker sends a specially crafted packet to TCP port 5678, the KingHistorian application fails to properly validate the incoming data structure, leading to memory corruption that can result in arbitrary code execution or system crash. The invalid pointer write occurs during the parsing of network protocol elements, where the application attempts to write data to memory locations that have not been properly allocated or validated, creating a potential exploitation vector for malicious actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on the affected system. This represents a severe threat to industrial control environments where KingHistorian systems are commonly deployed, as these systems often manage critical infrastructure data and may be connected to operational technology networks. The ability to achieve remote code execution on such systems can lead to complete system compromise, data manipulation, or disruption of industrial processes. Attackers could potentially use this vulnerability to gain persistent access to industrial networks, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malware within the operational technology environment, making this a particularly dangerous flaw in SCADA and industrial control system contexts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2559 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with vendor-provided security updates. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate KingHistorian systems from general network access, particularly by blocking external access to TCP port 5678 through firewalls and network access control lists. Additional protective measures include implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns on the affected port, deploying intrusion detection systems with signatures specific to this vulnerability, and conducting regular security assessments of industrial control system environments. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1210 suggests that adversaries may leverage this weakness as part of broader attack campaigns targeting industrial control systems, making proactive defense measures essential. Organizations should also consider implementing network behavior analysis tools to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to industrial control system security incidents.