CVE-2014-2249 in SIMATIC S7-1500 Cpu
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability on Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU PLC devices with firmware before 1.5.0 and SIMATIC S7-1200 CPU PLC devices with firmware before 4.0 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2026
The CVE-2014-2249 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 and S7-1200 programmable logic controllers. This vulnerability exists within the web-based management interfaces of these industrial control devices, creating a significant security risk for industrial automation and control systems. The flaw specifically impacts firmware versions prior to 1.5.0 for S7-1500 devices and 4.0 for S7-1200 devices, indicating that the vulnerability has been present for several years without proper mitigation in place. The affected devices operate within critical infrastructure environments where unauthorized access could lead to severe operational disruptions and safety hazards.
The technical nature of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper authentication token validation within the web interface requests. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages or links that, when visited by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable PLC devices without the user's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability operates through unknown vectors that likely involve manipulating session cookies or authentication tokens that are not properly verified for each request. This allows remote attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, potentially enabling unauthorized configuration changes, data manipulation, or system control commands that could compromise industrial processes and safety systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond traditional cybersecurity concerns into critical infrastructure safety and reliability domains. Industrial control systems like the SIMATIC S7 series are fundamental to manufacturing, energy, and process control environments where system integrity is paramount. An attacker exploiting this CSRF vulnerability could potentially modify critical control parameters, disrupt production processes, or even cause physical damage to equipment through unauthorized configuration changes. The remote nature of the attack vector means that threat actors do not require physical access to the facilities, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for industrial environments where physical security measures might be the primary defense mechanism. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by potentially compromising confidentiality through unauthorized data access, integrity through unauthorized system modifications, and availability through disruption of critical processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2249 should prioritize immediate firmware updates to the latest versions that address the CSRF vulnerability. Organizations must implement network segmentation to isolate industrial control systems from general corporate networks and implement strict access controls for web-based management interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of web applications. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls, disabling unnecessary web interfaces, and conducting regular security assessments of industrial control system environments. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in industrial environments where legacy systems often remain operational for extended periods without proper security updates. Organizations should establish robust patch management processes specifically tailored for industrial control systems to prevent similar vulnerabilities from remaining unaddressed for extended periods.