CVE-2017-16731 in Ellipse
Summary
by MITRE
An Unprotected Transport of Credentials issue was discovered in ABB Ellipse 8.3 through Ellipse 8.9 released prior to December 2017 (including Ellipse Select). A vulnerability exists in the authentication of Ellipse to LDAP/AD using the LDAP protocol. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sniffing local network traffic, allowing the discovery of authentication credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16731 represents a critical weakness in ABB Ellipse industrial control system software versions 8.3 through 8.9, including the Ellipse Select variant. This flaw resides in the authentication mechanism that connects Ellipse systems to external directory services using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. The vulnerability manifests as an unprotected transport of credentials, which fundamentally undermines the security posture of industrial automation environments where such systems are deployed. The issue specifically affects systems that utilize LDAP/Active Directory authentication methods, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on these industrial control platforms for critical infrastructure operations.
The technical flaw stems from the implementation of the LDAP protocol within the Ellipse software without proper encryption or secure transport mechanisms. When authentication requests are transmitted between the Ellipse system and the LDAP/Active Directory server, the credentials are sent in plaintext over the network. This design flaw allows any network observer with access to the local network segment to capture and decode the authentication traffic using standard packet sniffing tools. The vulnerability specifically targets the initial authentication phase where user credentials are transmitted from the Ellipse client to the directory service, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors without requiring elevated privileges or sophisticated attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to industrial control systems that may be responsible for managing critical infrastructure operations. The compromised credentials could potentially provide access to multiple systems within the network, as many industrial environments utilize centralized authentication mechanisms where a single compromised credential might unlock access to multiple control points. This vulnerability directly violates security best practices outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and aligns with CWE-312, which describes the weakness of exposing sensitive information through improper data handling. The attack vector is particularly concerning in industrial environments where network segmentation may be limited, and where the attacker can leverage the stolen credentials to escalate privileges and potentially disrupt operational processes.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including the deployment of network encryption protocols such as LDAPS or StartTLS to secure LDAP communications, the implementation of network segmentation to isolate industrial control systems from general network traffic, and the enforcement of strong authentication mechanisms that do not rely on plaintext credential transmission. The mitigation strategies should align with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's credential access techniques, specifically targeting the use of network sniffing and credential dumping methods that this vulnerability enables. System administrators should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unusual authentication patterns or potential credential exposure attempts, while also ensuring that all affected systems receive the necessary security updates provided by ABB to address this specific vulnerability. The long-term solution involves a comprehensive review of industrial control system security configurations to ensure that all authentication protocols are properly encrypted and that the principle of least privilege is maintained across all network segments.