CVE-2014-2342 in SCADA Data Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Triangle MicroWorks SCADA Data Gateway before 3.00.0635 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive data processing) via a crafted DNP3 packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2342 affects Triangle MicroWorks SCADA Data Gateway versions prior to 3.00.0635, presenting a significant security risk within industrial control systems environments. This flaw manifests as a remote denial of service condition that can be triggered through the careful construction of DNP3 protocol packets, which are commonly used in energy and industrial automation systems for communication between master stations and remote terminal units. The affected SCADA gateway serves as a critical interface component in power grid operations and other industrial processes, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for operational technology infrastructure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate input validation and processing within the DNP3 packet handling mechanism of the SCADA Data Gateway. When a specially crafted DNP3 packet is received by the vulnerable system, the gateway fails to properly sanitize or limit the data processing resources consumed during packet interpretation. This leads to excessive CPU utilization and memory consumption as the system attempts to process malformed or oversized data structures within the DNP3 protocol frames. The flaw operates at the protocol level, specifically targeting the application layer processing of DNP3 communications where the gateway acts as a bridge between field devices and supervisory systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, potentially compromising the reliability and availability of critical infrastructure systems. Industrial environments relying on Triangle MicroWorks SCADA Data Gateway for power grid monitoring and control operations face the risk of unauthorized parties deliberately exhausting system resources through carefully constructed malicious packets. This can result in complete system unavailability, forcing operators to manually restart services or potentially causing cascading failures in connected industrial processes. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where continuous operation is mandated, such as electric utilities, water treatment facilities, and manufacturing plants that depend on uninterrupted SCADA communications.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to SCADA Data Gateway version 3.00.0635 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the excessive data processing vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the affected systems to untrusted networks, while implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying suspicious DNP3 packet patterns. Monitoring should focus on anomalous CPU and memory usage patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, and regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other industrial control system components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses unchecked resource consumption, and represents a potential ATT&CK technique under T1499 for network disruption and T1071 for application layer protocols, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defensive measures in industrial cybersecurity programs.