CVE-2012-3009 in COMOS
Summary
by MITRE
Siemens COMOS before 9.1 Patch 413, 9.2 before Update 03 Patch 023, and 10.0 before Patch 005 allows remote authenticated users to obtain database administrative access via unspecified method calls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3009 affects Siemens COMOS software versions prior to specific patch releases, representing a critical authorization flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges to database administrative access. This vulnerability resides within the database access control mechanisms of the COMOS platform, which is widely deployed in industrial environments for engineering and configuration management of complex systems. The affected versions include COMOS 9.1 before Patch 413, 9.2 before Update 03 Patch 023, and 10.0 before Patch 005, indicating a widespread impact across multiple major releases of this industrial configuration management software. The flaw manifests through unspecified method calls that bypass normal authentication procedures, allowing attackers who have already established valid credentials to escalate their privileges without additional authorization checks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control mechanisms, specifically focusing on insufficient authorization checks within database access layers. This weakness enables privilege escalation by allowing authenticated users to execute administrative functions through method calls that should be restricted to database administrators only. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where database interaction methods are improperly validated, creating an attack surface that allows lateral movement from standard user accounts to privileged administrative accounts. The unspecified nature of the method calls suggests that the flaw exists in how the software handles certain database operations or API calls that should require additional authentication or authorization steps before execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to industrial control systems and process automation environments where Siemens COMOS is deployed. The ability to obtain database administrative access remotely compromises the integrity and availability of critical configuration data, potentially enabling attackers to modify system parameters, access sensitive engineering data, or disrupt operational processes. The remote nature of the attack means that an authenticated user within the network perimeter could exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access or additional credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation is not properly implemented. This vulnerability directly impacts the security posture of industrial systems by undermining the principle of least privilege and potentially enabling more extensive attacks through access to underlying database configurations.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate deployment of the vendor-provided patches and updates for the affected COMOS versions, specifically implementing Patch 413 for 9.1, Update 03 Patch 023 for 9.2, and Patch 005 for 10.0. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the scope of potential attacks, ensuring that database administrative functions are restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege management in industrial control systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, as it allows attackers to escalate privileges using legitimate authentication mechanisms. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their industrial control systems to identify similar authorization flaws and implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts to database administrative functions.