CVE-2016-0851 in WebAccess
Summary
by MITRE
Advantech WebAccess before 8.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds memory access) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2018
The CVE-2016-0851 vulnerability affects Advantech WebAccess versions prior to 8.1, representing a critical remote denial of service flaw that exposes systems to out-of-bounds memory access attacks. This vulnerability resides within the web-based industrial automation platform that is widely deployed in manufacturing and industrial control environments, making it particularly concerning for operational technology infrastructure. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack pathways could potentially trigger the memory corruption issue, indicating a fundamental flaw in the software's input validation and memory management mechanisms. Such vulnerabilities in industrial control systems pose significant risks as they can disrupt critical manufacturing processes and potentially create opportunities for more sophisticated attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues, specifically out-of-bounds memory access, which is classified as CWE-125 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. This weakness occurs when software attempts to access memory locations outside the bounds of allocated buffers or arrays, potentially leading to system instability, crashes, or in some cases, arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for network-connected industrial environments where security perimeters may be less strictly enforced. The out-of-bounds memory access typically occurs when the software fails to properly validate input data or when buffer size calculations are incorrect, leading to memory corruption that can cause the application to crash or behave unpredictably.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability directly affects the availability and reliability of industrial control systems that rely on Advantech WebAccess for monitoring and control functions. The denial of service condition can result in complete system outages, potentially halting production lines, disrupting critical processes, and causing significant financial losses for organizations. The industrial control environment where this vulnerability exists often lacks the robust security measures found in traditional IT environments, making such attacks more likely to succeed and causing greater damage. Organizations using affected versions of WebAccess may experience unexpected system crashes, requiring manual intervention to restore operations, which can be particularly problematic in 24/7 operational environments where downtime is costly.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability primarily involves upgrading to Advantech WebAccess version 8.1 or later, which includes patches addressing the memory access issues. System administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit access to WebAccess systems and employ intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious network activity. Additionally, regular security assessments of industrial control systems should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1499 technique for network denial of service, highlighting the importance of maintaining system availability in operational technology environments where such attacks can have cascading effects on industrial processes and safety systems. Organizations should also consider implementing compensating controls such as redundant systems, automated failover mechanisms, and regular backup procedures to minimize the impact of potential exploitation.