CVE-2014-0757 in CoDeSys Runtime Toolkit
Summary
by MITRE
Smart Software Solutions (3S) CoDeSys Runtime Toolkit before 2.4.7.44 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0757 affects the Smart Software Solutions 3S CoDeSys Runtime Toolkit version 2.4.7.44 and earlier, presenting a critical denial of service risk that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that lead to a NULL pointer dereference condition within the runtime environment, ultimately causing application crashes and system unavailability. The CoDeSys Runtime Toolkit serves as a fundamental component in industrial automation and control systems, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for operational technology environments where system reliability is paramount. The vulnerability represents a classic software defect that occurs when an application attempts to access memory through a null pointer reference, a condition that typically results in immediate program termination and system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-476, which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereference conditions in software implementations. This flaw demonstrates poor input validation and error handling within the CoDeSys Runtime Toolkit, where the application fails to properly validate pointers before dereferencing them during normal execution flows. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending carefully crafted inputs or triggering specific execution paths that cause the runtime environment to attempt accessing memory locations through null references. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local privileges to trigger the condition, making it particularly dangerous in networked industrial environments where such systems may be directly exposed to external networks. The NULL pointer dereference ultimately leads to segmentation faults or access violations that cause the application to terminate unexpectedly, resulting in complete service disruption.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to industrial control systems and automation environments that rely on CoDeSys Runtime Toolkit for their operations. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause complete system outages, leading to production downtime, safety hazards, and potential financial losses in manufacturing and process control environments. The attack vector's remote nature means that organizations may be vulnerable even when their systems are not directly connected to the internet, as the vulnerability can be triggered through various network-based attack scenarios including web services, remote access protocols, or other network interfaces that the toolkit may expose. The lack of specific details about the exact vectors in the original description suggests that the vulnerability may be present across multiple execution paths within the toolkit, potentially affecting a wide range of legitimate operations and legitimate use cases.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to version 2.4.7.44 or later of the CoDeSys Runtime Toolkit, which contains the necessary patches to address the NULL pointer dereference condition. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, particularly implementing firewalls and network access control lists to restrict communication with the toolkit services. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected toolkit across their operational technology environments, as multiple installations may exist within complex industrial networks. Monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, including tracking of unusual application crashes or service disruptions that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of updated systems to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing industrial control applications that depend on the toolkit functionality.