CVE-2015-3950 in 442SR OS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in XZERES 442SR OS on 442SR wind turbines allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of admins for requests that select a different default admin user via a GET request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2024
The CVE-2015-3950 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting the XZERES 442SR operating system deployed on 442SR wind turbines. This vulnerability resides within the authentication mechanism of industrial control systems that manage critical infrastructure components. The flaw specifically manifests in the web interface of the turbine control system, where administrative functions are exposed through web-based interfaces that lack proper CSRF protection measures. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it targets industrial control systems that manage renewable energy generation infrastructure, potentially compromising the operational integrity of wind power facilities. The affected system employs a default administrative user account configuration that can be modified through web requests, making it susceptible to unauthorized administrative access through maliciously crafted web requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the web application's request processing pipeline. When administrators interact with the web interface to modify default user configurations, the system accepts GET requests that contain parameters for changing administrative user accounts without proper authentication verification. This design flaw allows remote attackers to craft malicious web pages or exploit existing user sessions to execute unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability specifically targets the configuration modification functionality that allows switching default administrator accounts, which represents a fundamental security control failure in the system's access management. The GET-based request mechanism used for administrative functions violates established security principles for sensitive operations, as GET requests should not be used for state-changing operations according to web application security best practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential compromise of critical industrial control systems. Attackers could potentially gain administrative control over wind turbine operations, affecting power generation, safety systems, and operational monitoring capabilities. The implications are particularly severe for renewable energy infrastructure, where unauthorized access could lead to operational disruptions, safety hazards, or even physical damage to equipment. The vulnerability affects the entire 442SR wind turbine fleet that utilizes the XZERES 442SR OS, potentially creating widespread security concerns across multiple installations. Operational security teams face significant challenges in assessing the scope of affected systems and implementing remediation measures without disrupting critical power generation operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the web application interface. Organizations should deploy anti-CSRF tokens for all administrative functions and ensure that state-changing operations are performed through POST requests rather than GET requests. The system should implement proper session management with automatic session invalidation upon administrative actions and enhanced authentication verification processes. Security updates and patches should be applied to all affected 442SR wind turbine installations to address the underlying authentication mechanism flaws. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit administrative access to authorized personnel only, reducing the attack surface. Additionally, regular security assessments of industrial control systems should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other critical infrastructure components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and represents a significant concern for the industrial control systems community, particularly those following ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.