CVE-2015-1013 in PI AF
Summary
by MITRE
OSIsoft PI AF 2.6 and 2.7 and PI SQL for AF 2.1.2.19 do not ensure that the PI SQL (AF) Trusted Users group lacks the Everyone account, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended command restrictions via SQL statements.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1013 affects OSIsoft PI AF 2.6 and 2.7 versions along with PI SQL for AF 2.1.2.19, representing a critical security flaw in industrial automation and data management systems. This issue stems from improper configuration of access controls within the PI SQL (AF) Trusted Users group, where the system fails to adequately restrict the Everyone account from gaining unauthorized access. The vulnerability resides in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern how system commands are executed, creating a pathway for malicious actors to circumvent intended security restrictions.
The technical flaw manifests through a misconfiguration in the permission model where the Trusted Users group includes the Everyone account, which typically represents all users in a Windows environment. This inclusion allows authenticated users to execute SQL commands that should be restricted to privileged administrators only. The vulnerability operates at the database access layer where SQL injection techniques can be employed to escalate privileges and execute unauthorized operations. This flaw directly maps to CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and specifically relates to weak permissions and inadequate privilege management within database systems. The issue enables attackers to perform operations that could compromise the integrity and availability of industrial control systems.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability poses significant risks to industrial environments that rely on OSIsoft PI systems for critical data management and process control. Remote authenticated users can exploit this weakness to gain elevated privileges and execute commands that could disrupt operations, modify critical data, or potentially cause system failures. The impact extends beyond simple data access violations as it could enable attackers to manipulate process variables, alter historical data, or even disable security monitoring systems. This vulnerability particularly affects sectors such as oil and gas, chemical processing, and manufacturing where PI systems are commonly deployed for real-time data acquisition and analysis, making the potential operational disruption severe and potentially dangerous.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate configuration fixes to remove the Everyone account from the Trusted Users group and implement proper privilege separation within the PI SQL for AF environment. Organizations should conduct comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that only authorized personnel have elevated privileges and that the principle of least privilege is enforced. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to PI systems and restrict SQL command execution to trusted administrative networks only. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized SQL command execution attempts and privilege escalation activities. The remediation process should also include regular security assessments and adherence to industrial cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST SP 800-82 and IEC 62443 standards to prevent similar configuration vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation in industrial control systems and the need for regular security audits to identify and address configuration weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors.