CVE-2017-12741 in SIMATIC S7
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability has been identified in the following Siemens industrial products: SIMATIC S7-200 Smart: All versions < V2.03.01, SIMATIC S7-400 PN V6: All versions < V6.0.6, SIMATIC S7-400 H V6: All versions < 6.0.8, SIMATIC S7-400 PN/DP V7: All versions, SIMATIC S7-410 V8: All versions, SIMATIC S7-300: All versions, SIMATIC S7-1200: All versions, SIMATIC S7-1500: All versions < 2.0, SIMATIC S7-1500 Software Controller: All versions < 2.0, SIMATIC WinAC RTX 2010 incl. F: All versions, SIMATIC ET 200AL: All versions, SIMATIC ET 200ecoPN: All versions, SIMATIC ET 200M: All versions, SIMATIC ET 200MP: All versions, SIMATIC ET 200pro: All versions, SIMATIC ET 200S: All versions, SIMATIC ET 200SP: All versions, DK Standard Ethernet Controller: All versions, EK-ERTEC 200P: All versions < V4.5, EK-ERTEC 200 PN IO: All versions, SIMOTION D: All versions < V5.1 HF1, SIMOTION C: All versions < V5.1 HF1, SIMOTION P: All versions < V5.1 HF1, SINAMICS DCM: All versions, SINAMICS DCP: All versions, SINAMICS G110M / G120(C/P/D) w. PN: All versions < V4.7 SP9 HF1, SINAMICS G130 and G150: All versions, SINAMICS S110 w. PN: All versions, SINAMICS S120: All versions, SINAMICS S150 V4.7 and V4.8: All versions, SINAMICS V90 w. PN: All versions, SINUMERIK 840D sl: All versions, SIMATIC Compact Field Unit: All versions, SIMATIC PN/PN Coupler: All versions, SIMOCODE pro V PROFINET: All versions, SIRIUS Soft starter 3RW44 PN: All versions. Specially crafted packets sent to port 161/UDP could cause a Denial-of-Service condition. The affected devices must be restarted manually.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical denial-of-service condition affecting numerous Siemens industrial control systems and automation products. The flaw specifically manifests when specially crafted packets are transmitted to port 161/UDP, which is the standard port for Simple Network Management Protocol operations. This vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and memory management issues, aligning with CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions and CWE-772 for missing release of resource after effective lifetime. The vulnerability affects a broad spectrum of industrial equipment ranging from basic controllers to sophisticated motion control systems and process automation devices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits weaknesses in the SNMP protocol handling within Siemens industrial devices. When malformed packets are received on the designated UDP port, the systems fail to properly validate incoming data structures, leading to memory corruption or resource exhaustion that ultimately results in system instability. This type of vulnerability represents a significant concern for industrial environments where continuous operation is critical, as it can cause unexpected system shutdowns that may lead to production losses or safety hazards. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal sophistication to exploit, making it accessible to both malicious actors and potentially automated attack tools.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system unavailability, as it affects critical infrastructure components across multiple industrial sectors including manufacturing, process control, and energy management systems. Many of the affected devices operate in environments where manual restart procedures are time-consuming and may require specialized personnel, potentially leading to extended downtime. The vulnerability affects both legacy and newer generations of Siemens products, indicating a widespread systemic issue that requires comprehensive remediation efforts across industrial control networks. Organizations implementing industrial cybersecurity measures should consider this vulnerability as part of their risk assessment frameworks, particularly when evaluating network segmentation and monitoring capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of network segmentation to isolate affected devices from general network traffic, particularly by blocking UDP port 161 access from untrusted networks. Network administrators should deploy intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious SNMP traffic patterns, and implement proper network access controls to limit exposure. Siemens has released patches and firmware updates for affected versions, which should be applied immediately to all impacted systems following manufacturer guidelines. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all potentially affected devices and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current threat intelligence and implementing robust network monitoring capabilities to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for industrial cybersecurity frameworks that address both traditional network security concerns and specialized industrial control system requirements, as outlined in standards such as NIST SP 800-82 and IEC 62443.